The Fall of Thundera
by LionJustice
Summary: Spin off around the first two-parted episode of Thundercats 2011 Season 1. Something you might have seen before...or not.
1. Chapter 1

Ever since the reveal of the truth about Pumyra and how she died since Episode One I've wanted to write a 'what if' kind of story. And I sort of like spin off so...It's not much for now but there'll be more. Reviews are appreciated from now :)

**YOU'RE WARNED BY NOW**. I don't speak English actually my language is Spanish so this may have some grammatical errors. It's worth to say that first I had to write the story and then translate it to English. (I'll be posting this on all my fics to remind you all I'm not a born English speaker.)

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_-These were days of peace and prosperity on Third Earth. _

_When one empire stood above all others; ruling with a just heart and razor claw. _

_And though omens foretold in the book would be ignored, the tragedy to come was necessary. _

_For it was written that he would be born of fire; _

_a king to lead his people to victory against Ancient Spirits of Evil!_-

Indeed, in the prosperous land ruled by the race of cats, the centuries-famous kingdom of Thundera, people lived surrounded by privilege and comfort; envy of any other species. About the city the Palace of the Thundercats home of the royal family formed by King Claudus and his two sons stood imposing.  
In the square outside the palace's walls, mingling in the crowd, a young cloaked cat and his cat-pet made their dated getaway to the poorest districts of the kingdom without noticing the blond figure watching over him closely.

"Relax Snarf. You think we're gonna get killed every time we come to this part of town. " The cat told his frightened friend.

The streets were full of cats that day walking among the many and varied shops, selling -and others, unwittingly- _buying_ unwanted troubles. "No, they're not cats Snarf. But no one should to be treated like that." Claims the hooded cat as watching four alley cats bullying a merchant dog against its own post.

The largest cat turns to their witnesses. "What are you looking at?" Looking eager for a fight.

"Whiskers-" He mumbles ducking his head under the hood as the four cats surrounded him and his furry friend hiding behind his leg.

"You gotta pay too. In the slums everyone's a dog." The leader said extending his hand in front of him.

"I have a feeling you're the one who's going to pay." The young cat responds and grabs the cat's waiting hand giving him something quite different from what expected as the young cat grabbed and turned his wrist knocking him to the floor.

The others went on the offensive immediately, the only female first, throwing her knife over the hooded's head but he eluded it leaning back and counter with a well-aimed blow to her face with the palm of his hand. Soon the second cat pulled out his own blade to attack him from behind but he was quicker turning back and took him out of combat with a roundhouse kick as the next cat with a bigger weapon charged with fury toward him, but soon he tipped over because of the scaredy creature running between his feet, and fell hitting his head with his own helmet.

"Thanks Snarf!" The cat smiled at his cat-pet, who responded with an enthusiastic meow.

Confident that the gang have been taken off the young cat was unaware when the leader of the alley cats pounced on him from behind circling his neck with his big strong arms attempting to knock the air out of him. The cat struggled to free himself but he couldn't. Until he felt his neck was released immediately after hearing a dry blow behind him and seeing the big cat unconscious on the floor.

Fixing the collar of his coat the young cat turned to his savior. "Not that I needed, but who can I thank for the assist?"

"Cheetara." Said a young slender female cat with long blond hair and brown spotted shoulders, holding a wooden staff.

The cat's eyes widened as they stared. He tried to talk and let out a shaky..."Hello-" Quickly correcting with a deeper..."Hello there."

"I'm sure the king will not be happy to learn his son was wrestling alley cats." The cheetah pointed in a calm voice. Listening to her the cat knew that there was no reason to keep hiding himself and takes his hood off revealing the red mane of the lion, Lion-O.

"He is the prince. Scatter!" Shouted the large cat and ran away along with his minions behind him.

"Ah, it's my dirtiest cloak and still is a bad disguise." The lion sighed pulling at his cloak sighs and shrugging.

"What's so important you'd risk your life coming down here?" The she-cat asked.

"That depends. Can you keep a secret?" The prince asked with a smile, which she just responded with another one.

Back at the palace, three cats sat waiting in the throne room. One of them sitting casually in his chair while the other two, older than him, wondered where the heir to the throne could be. One of those two being the very king of Thundera. "He knows how important today is. Where is that boy, Jaga?"

"Be easy on him, Claudus. Remember when you were his age, your father wasn't always pleased with you either." The oldest of the three, adviser of the king replied meekly.

"I never neglected my duties as a prince like he does!" The great lion returned with strength. "Why can't he be more like you Tygra?" Turning to see his eldest son.

"You're asking for the impossible Father." The tiger answered relaxed resting his head on his knuckles.

Up on the town surrounding the palace middle-classes lived peacefully, happy, and most of time, unharmed. But this was not the time for a little farming family with their only child sitting on the floor in the front yard crying out of pain but asking his parents not to move him from his spot for the pain was too much for him. His father stroked his son's head while her mother tried to distract him caressing his hand and giving him a little kiss on the kid's cheek until someone came to check on him. The wait was not long.

"So, he is it?" A voice asked.

The cub lifted his teary eyes looking at a cat walking barefoot to him and his parents while carrying a cloth bag hanging down her shoulder. The boy's father stood up to greet the visitor. "You're the medic? Thanks for coming." Smiling while leading the cat toward his son.

"No need to thank, sir." She smiled to the father but looking at the kid. Soon she knelt down beside him and checking him up from head to toe and finally his sore leg. "Hi, my name is Pumyra, what's yours?" She asked nicely.

The boy saw the tender expression on the face of the young girl and wished he wasn't sobbing when he answered. "Bo-Bobcat, miss."

She looked once more at him, noting in fact the breed which his family belonged and smiled friendly. "Well, that's...a fitting name. Now Bobcat I'm going to attend your wound...would you tell me how this happen?"

Pumyra didn't need the explanations. Seeing his young age was easy to assume how it happened but she also knew letting him tell her instead of his parents would distract the cub from the pain. As Bobcat told her about his 'over enthusiastic' games she attended his leg starting by sterilizing the wound with the contents of a bottle from the bag and a piece of cotton, after that she straightened the leg to bandage it firmly yet carefully.

While listening about him playing with other cats his age Pumyra had to retain her laughter a few times. Now, Bobcat really liked to play some serious wrestling. Of course, she related with the feeling well. As cubs, fighting with others cats to relate with them was more than normal. She did so when a cub herself. Although she had to admit, this little wild cat played with more enthusiasm than she could remember she had at his age. "It seems that you are very strong to have walked all the way back to your home with an injured leg. While I'd have recommended to save your energy and wait for someone to pick you up." The puma's voice was serious and her gaze steady on the cub as he lowered his head in shame. "But energy is a good thing to be over charged with." She added letting out a breath in a cheerful tone as she stroked his head making him laugh. "But don't push your luck next time, you'll have to take it easy for a few days." She said indicating that her work was done.

"That was it?" The boy asked in awe. "I didn't feel a thing! You're very good." His parents looked at each other and smiled.

Pumyra smiled at the compliment as his father lifted him from the ground to take him inside to rest. "Now the bandages must be changed after a while...but your mom has that covered." Pumyra said looking at the woman with a knowing smile between them. The family led her to the house to attribute her good work on their child while she gave them the last cautions. "He just needs to rest and eat healthy and plenty, and he'll be as good as new in no time."

The mother laughed just answering. "He already does that, every day. Many thanks for your help, child." Her husband left their son sitting in a cozy chair by the game table and approached her with a market bag for the young cat.

"What is this?" She asks.

"This is your pay." The male cat granted giving her a small pouch with coins inside. "And this is from us, for your attention to our son. We've very grateful with your work." Now handing the bigger bag.

Pumyra tried to refuse the second bag but the family insisted that she did not leave the house without it. She sighed in defeat and said goodbye to her patient on the other side of the room. The boy was about to take a stand from his seat to greet her, quickly forgetting his instructions about taking it easy so she stepped forward and stood next to his seat. "Goodbye and thank you!" Giving her an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek.

She smiled and stroked his head once more. "Have a nice lazy day now, okay?" And waved goodbye to the family.

Meanwhile the Crown Prince had brought his companion to a store not visited by many that belonged to a dog, Jorma, coincidentally a friend of his, who kept all kinds of artifacts that thunderians could only dreamed of. The lion told the blonde cat about his dreams and expectations settled beyond Thundera's walls, the real existence of technology mentioned in the mythical Book of Omen that many thought were just fairy tales. And how all that junk, as many described it, was the proof that there was a bigger world out there.

He returned from the clouds and looked into her eyes. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

Cheetara just blinked her fuchsia eyes and replied. "I think you're...different." And he held his gaze on her with a smile on his face.

At the same time the strong ring of a bell struck the young lion's attention. "Oh, I'm late! I'll take it." He said throwing a couple of golden coins into the dog's hand and took the rounded piece Jorma saved for him. Towards the door Lion-O turned to the cheetah before putting his hood back into place. "Maybe next time I can bail you out of trouble." He said with a wink and run off.

The lion ran all the long way from the slums markets heading to the stairs that leaded to the vicinity of the palace. Between the steps he wondered why there could not be a shortcut to the palace, on second thought, _that_ was the shortcut. As he stepped out of the stairs he did not get sight of the cat walking with a bag that blocked the view from her side and prevented her from seeing him as well, and as the second bell rang stumbled on to her to the floor dropping everything both carried.

The lion saw the bag contents scattered on the floor and hurried getting himself off the other cat. "I'm sorry. Really, I'm very-" Realizing the cat beneath him was a young woman. Presumably of his own age, brown hair with white highlights bound in a ponytail and wore a dark brown dress with golden manacles, and a small pouch attached to a red belt around her waist. While taking a better look he noted she was a mountain lion, a puma.

The she-cat raised her head up feeling the weight of the body getting out of her. "What's the matter with you?" She asked in a raspy voice massaging her head without seeing his face.

"Sorry, I didn't see you." He let out as he quickly started picking up her things and back into the bag.

"I can see that." She got up looking around and laid her eyes on something that didn't belong to her. "We're not in wartime, what's the big _hurry_?" She picked up the round piece of metal and looked at it in an inquiring manner.

That word reminded the lion why was he running in first place and saw his recent acquisition in the cat's hands. Before she started to question things he took the device out of her hand without warning. "Sorry, but I really am in a hurry."

"Hey!" The puma yelled watching him leaving till she noticed that cat at least got collected most of the things and put them back in the bag. She looked puzzled in the cloaked cat's direction... "Who was that?"

Moments later the royal cats stood up at the sound of hurried footsteps. The young lion rushed into the throne's room and stands before his father, apologizing several times with a sheepish smile. Claudus looked at all pleased and immediately ordered Jaga to begin with the sacred rite of passage.

The Head Cleric nodded and raised his staff above his head. "Guardians of the crown…bring forth the Sword of Omen!" And a group of figures covered in robes and cloaks entered the room, the one in the forefront holding something covered by a cloth in its hands stopping in front of their master as the later leaned down offering what was on its hand to him.

Standing next to the lion, his adopted brother sent an inadvertent wink to the masked cleric and this raised its fuchsia eyes toward him almost instantly. The lion made noticed of that and turned to his brother surprised. "Are you flirting?" The tiger just looked at him and smirked.

The younger prince then turned to Jaga's words. "While you will one day wear the crown, Lion-O-" Lifting the cloth in the hands of his disciple revealing the mighty sword. "Only the eye of Thundera, the source of our power, knows if there is, indeed, a King inside of you. Take the sword, and become one with it."

Lion-O stared at the sword and held it in his hand marveled at its light weight, took a few steps away from the rest of the cats around to swung the weapon experimentally while his father, the king, said. "You hold in your hands what built the Thundercats' empire. But only he who is deemed worthy can harness its awesome power!" Claudus approached his son and snatched the sword from his hands. " Let me show you what it's capable of in the proper hands."

"Oh oh, catch!" Tygra threw a sword in his hands for his brother to catches, Claudus turning and raised his sword violently against Lion-O almost at the same time. His son barely had time to react to the shock of the Sword of Omen against his own, sparks of electricity flying as the two swords clashed against one another, forcing Lion-O to move back.

"The book told that it was the Thundercats, our ancestors, who first defeated Mumm-Ra. It was the Thundercats who brought law and order to a world of warring animals. And it is now the Thundercats who are strong enough to maintain this fragile peace!" Claudus stated while clashing swords with Lion-O, who dodged every shot he threw at him.

Lion-O was able to block the coming blow but it was the great force of it that knocked him to the ground. The king then stabbed the sword downward on the ground, the sound of thunder and lightning coming from the blade. All present admiring the display of power. The young lion stared and took the Sword of Omens in his hands again, swinging it in the air with much more strength and concentration. With each stroke, thunder and sparks came out of the blade. Lion-O set the tip of the weapon on the ground and the circle under his feet began to emit a red light, as if the contact with the sword made it shine. He then raised the sword holding it close to his face. As the hilt extended, his eyes began to shine along with the Eye of Thundera, feeling his gaze extend to a distant place revealing to him a pair of red eyes and a grim face. He immediately gasped moving the sword away from his face.

"Lion-O, why did you stop?" His father asked, Jaga standing next to him.

The prince looked worried. "I- I saw something."

"Tell us..." The elder jaguar pleaded.

"Uhm," Not sure to answer, the prince looked uncomfortable around him when his ears caught the sound of giggles. "That." And made his way to the window spotting two young ladies walking by in dainty garments. "Ha, meow!" He forced staring at them.

The king and head cleric came to the window beside him. Jaga closed his eyes as the large lion looked at his son with disappointment and took the Sword of Omen from him. "The sword is ready Lion-O, but you are not." His son looked at him sadly as he walked out of the room.

Jaga approached the young cat giving him a meaningful look. "What? I didn't see anything."

"And I did not say anything." The cleric replied walking away.

Lion-O dropped his shoulders, his eyes followed the clerics parting from the room and his brother after them.

That afternoon the prince was in his room examining the piece of technology he bought from his dog friend that day, put the screwdriver on his desk and stare at the ceiling reminiscing…on a spotted cat with blond hair. Throughout the time he had been interested in technology Lion-O had never shared his thoughts about it with anyone before. Not even his brother bothered to pay attention since, like almost everyone in Thundera, he claimed that such was pure dreams and myths that only existed in ancient times. But the cheetah seemed different, when he looked into her eyes for a moment he thought she understood him. Maybe did not share his point of view about it, but at least seemed to respect it. But Cheetara was not the only girl he met the same day, there was the cat he ran onto at the square, what was it about her?

Lion-O could not put his claw on it but something about her caught his eye, but was in such a big hurry at the time to know what that was and he only saw her for just what? seconds? It was insane! And there was the pain too...wait, pain?

Lion-O let out a 'ouff' when he felt a sharp pain in his left ribs. "What-" Then it returned to his head. When he bumped into that girl something at the bottom of the bag she was carrying embed in his midsection. He looked out the window and felt like going out for a walk. Outside the palace, the streets were not as crowded as in the morning and Lion-O was sure that Jorma's store was closed by now. It occurred to him to go to the barn for his riding beast, a rare quadruped feline species of large built with bushy tail and purplish fur. When he reached the place behind the doors he heard a squeal followed by someone's cry, Lion-O quickly opened the wooden doors and got ran over by one of the beasts which escaped at high speed from the barn.

"Hey, come back here!" A brown cat in farmer clothes shouted.

"What happened?" Asked the young lion standing up.

"I'm sorry prince Lion-O! I was just taking a nap and fell off my chair on the animal's tail- I guess that scared him off." Explained the cat, a bit nervous.

"Don't worry, I'll bring it back." The prince looked in the direction the creature ran and turned to the keeper. "I'll get him, you stay here and take care of the others." He ordered.

"But- Wait! We can send a guard to go for him!" The cat screamed in vain for Lion-O was already off after the quadruped beast.

Fortunately the animal left a trail of paw prints that made the tracking just a little bit easier. The lion ran along the fence dividing the houses looking into every space but it was no use.

In the watchtower a couple of guards on duty spotted the prince running near the wall. "General, would you see that?" A cat looked over his shoulder and pointed towards the lion.  
"I cannot soldier. What is happening?" Another cat in red armor and white mustache stood from his seat and walked to the edge of the cockpit to give a sniff. "Ah, but if it is prince Lion-O." He then raised his voice to speak. "Doing some exercise, young highness?"

Lion-O instantly turned and looked towards the tower from which the soldiers watched. "I'm looking for my riding beast. I want to take him back to the barns."

"Why not let the guards deal with that?" The youngest of the soldiers suggested, Lion-O shot him a look from the distance.

The general ignored the remark of his partner and sniffed some more. "You should try the East, my prince. My nose is rarely wrong." He advised.

Lion-O then relaxed expression. "Thanks general Lynx-O!" And moved on.

Confident in the sense of smell of the great general East he went. Turning a corner he found an astonished face with which, unable to stop in time, he collided. "Not again!" Both cats whined lying on the floor.

Lion-O is pushed himself off the cat. "I'm sorry, I'm very-"

The voice, even the words were the same, the cat recognized getting half her body up from the ground.

"You?" Both at the same time.

"You're..." The she-cat stared at him.

"Well, I am-" As silly as it was, he could not finish that sentence.

"Lion-O." She said. "You are the prince. So, it was you this morning." Sounding a bit confused.

Now Lion-O remembered she couldn't have known who he was because of the hood and cloak. "Uh yeah, that was me. I didn't mean to-"

"Yeah, I know. You were in a hurry." She answered for him somewhat annoyed. "Now I get it. Sure was royal duties?" Raising an eyebrow then began to stand at the same time the lion did too.

"Something like that." Answered briefly and put his hand to his left side. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened. I could've hurt you."

"Then why it's you who seem sore?" The cat asked noticing his face and the area where his hand rested.

"It's nothing. I think I got hit with something inside your bag the first time we hit." This time massaging the spot to ease the pain.

"Really? I can give you something for it if you come with me." Said the young cat as she heading her own direction but stopped when he spoke.

"Thanks, but I'm in the middle of something. I'm looking for an animal that ran from the barn. It shouldn't be away from here." His eyes looking around.

"You mean this way?" The puma pointed her right. "You were running that way, right?" Lion-O nodded. "Then I'll help you find it." And she began to walk.

Her attitude was something. Instead of showing respect and proper manners in the presence of a prince, she acted as if she always knew him, and not in the sense of royalty. "Are you coming or what?" The female turned to see him.

"You will help me?" He asked in surprise. The cat nodded matter of factly and resumed her walk. "Okay, okay." And hasten to walk beside her. "By the way, you know who I am...what's your name?"

The cat turned facing him. "It's Pumyra."

"Pumyra." He asserted looking at her, it could've probably been his imagination but Lion-O thought he saw a little smile on the corners of her lips when he said her name. "So, Pumyra." Trying the name again. "You're not hurt? I mean, we both fell hard twice in one day."

She wouldn't put it as _fell,_but then again, it was him who said it. "I'm fine, you're not that heavy." She lied, but it did feel less painful then the time that morning, considering she wasn't carrying any bags this time. "Maybe I know how to fall."

"Not that all cats land on their feet?" Lion-O joked.

Gladly she noticed and replayed. "Like you're someone to talk. Let me remind you, on both occasions _you_ crashed on me, Your Majesty." Hiding a smile to herself.

The prince looked surprised and blinked. Was she trying to make fun of him, or really she was-

At the library of the palace the prince Tygra sat on a big chair as he laid aside the book he was reading. His eyes followed the words, but his mind could not follow their meaning as a different thought occupied his mind. Tygra was all his life used to being the center of attention, being on everyone's sight and not only because of being the only tiger in all Thundera. As he considered himself a good looking cat and being considered as such by almost all the ladies of the kingdom, it was always easy for him flirting with them. But he never actually did it in a serious way as if feeling something for any of them. Now something was different, moments ago, in the throne room he winked at one of the guards, a female without a doubt and for the first time in his life he wondered why? The answer was simple, there was nothing in sight to notice she was beautiful or even woman, at least at first sight, because of the clothes and the veil covering her face, but there were those eyes, of that fuchsia coloring...so unusual.

Something about her felt familiar, like an innocent memory. But soon Tygra shook the thought off his head, for the end of this memory turned out not like he expected. And actually he was the kind of cat that believed in coincidences and perhaps that's all that thought really was, a coincidence. The prince left the library to join his father when the alarm rang.

"You didn't have to, but thanks you" Lion-O offered Pumyra holding the reins of the quadruped.

"It was nothing." Answered without looking at him and stroking the creature's muzzle. "I'm going now. Prince Lion-O." She bowed her head slightly at him before leaving.

"Pumyra wait!" Holding one hand in front of her and the other still on the reins. "I wanted to make it up to you for what happened this morning and then again for offering your help."

"You don't have to, you picked my things up before you left-"

"Not entirely, and then ran away leaving you behind on the floor. That was not good on me." The lion anticipated.

"Now I know you had more important things to do, why don't you just drop it?" Pumyra questioned curiously.

Before he could answer both heard the sound of the horn from the watchtower followed by a scream and a splash. Lion-O quickly mounted the quadruped feline and looked down with a smile on his face. "Because I can't. I have to go but I'll find you, I promise." Then kicked the creature's sides and ride toward the palace.

The young puma seemed astounded looking in the distance. She thought for a second and concluded the prince was kind of weird, and weird was also the way she felt then.

From the king's window Claudus looked through his telescope toward the kingdom's gates, Jaga and his eldest son with him. The vision on the horizon certainly was a sight for sore eyes for him. "It can't be, at long last!"

.

The next chapters won't be so sticked to the actual events and dialogues of the Thundercats 2011 Series' Episodes. This was just the Start line.

**"THUNDERCATS is not cancelled, but CN still figuring out next steps."**

**-Thundercats' ****producer Michael Jelenic. (DC Nation panel at ****San Diego Comic-Con 2012****)**

A/N: Visit my profile page for information.


	2. Chapter 2

**AT LAST** an update**!** School started last week and to that followed some lousy writing days, I hope to be back on track now. I apologize and thank you all for the waiting! I'll do my best to not let it happen again, many thanks for the reviews I hope like this one too :)

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A colossal wagon pulled by lizards showed in the distance carrying a giant rock with strange yellow glowing stone encrusted in it. The royal family came to greet the cat standing on top of the big rock.

"Grune!" Tygra sounded cheerful greeting the general who departed on a mission many years ago at the request of King.

"I come bearing gifts. I know it's not much now, but just wait until the thunderian stonecutters are done with it." The saber tooth general jumped off the stone at the same time Claudus got down of his riding beast to welcome him with open arms.

Both princes looked at the return of the general from different points of view now. Lion-O'd always held respect toward the general, though during his years as a cub he wouldn't always figured him out. On the other hand Tygra attempted to be by his side whenever he was assigned to babysit on both brothers, and respected him as much as admired him.

"And where is our dear friend Panthro?" The king asked searching the surroundings with his eyes.

Grune's face fell down as he showed to his king a blue and red pair of nunchucks. "He fought valiantly. Alas, he came up against a force that was too powerful for even him to overcome. It is only through his sacrifice I stand before you today." Handing the weapon to the lion.

Claudus felt the lost of his general and friend and took a deep breath. "Tomorrow, we will mourn this great loss. But today, we shall celebrate the return of Thundera's greatest general."

"I can't believe that Panthro's gone." Lion-O tried to sink in the new.

"You heard Grune, he sacrificed himself for his kingdom. All we can do now is to honor him and celebrate at least Grune came back safely." His adopted brother told him and proceeded following his father to the insides of the walls.

On the way to the palace the tiger stopped suddenly. "What is it, Tygra?" The young lion approached with his quadruped.

The tiger seemed deep in his thoughts and just replayed. "I'll make a stop before going home. I don't need you to follow me." And headed his own beast to another direction. Lion-O looked at him and shrugged.

"I wasn't going to anyway." To himself and headed back with their father.

At the palace, Jaga stood there waiting for the others to return but now he was no longer alone as he was speaking with someone. "I fear the return of our generals will not be what we all hoped for…" He began.

"What you mean, Jaga?" A female voice asked.

"Let's just say things will not be the same after today, my child." Soon he regretted the way he made his words sound when he looked to his apprentice's eyes. "But do not worry. This is surely occurrences of mine."

But his words didn't keep the she-cat from feeling uneasy, she very well knew Jaga's _occurrences _were never wrong. The two cats stayed in silence for a moment.

Until the elder cleric spoke up. "Did you see the boy today?"

The other cat nodded. "There's more to him than meets the eye, Jaga." She said in a plotting voice.

"I know, that's why wanted you specifically to look after him." He said showing a fatherly smile. "You know I have all my trust in you, Cheetara." After that both cats turned to see the others returning and the elder cleric dismissed his disciple who disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The female cat headed to her home, which for many years has been the clerics' training chambers. She stopped on her track before making it there and hided from any sight as she saw someone standing in front of the stairs that leaded to the site. But he wasn't just anyone to her. "What is he doing here?" She whispered.

The sight of the tiger standing there brought to her memories from her childhood, after all those years she's not forgotten about him. Cheetara couldn't deny she wanted to get closer but right now her duty was the priority for her now and remained hidden waiting for the tiger to leave.

At the base of the clerics' chambers, Tygra stood on his quadruped feline looking at the large door. The memory of a cub sitting against that same door flashed before his eyes. Seeing no one came by, he settled on his seat and rode back to the palace.

Hours later close to sunset, Pumyra went out of her house for a walk and without any course her steps took her nearby the walls of the city, she wasn't looking for something punctually though. All her eyes laid upon reflected the just and blooming kingdom of the King Claudus, except for a sight that made her fur bristle in fear. She wasn't actually scared, she knew she shouldn't have to; but even so, that was the reaction lizards always caused on the cats, as they were their greatest enemies for generations. The young puma stood away from the gates where she spotted a big group of lizards, it also didn't take long till she noted the chains keeping them from scattering or getting away. What were lizards doing in Thundera? She wondered and what was that rare stone surrounded by them?

Then Pumyra saw the guards with spears approaching them and she knew it was time for her to go so she turned around but not without taking one more glance at the lizards before leaving. It got to her nerves to know those creatures were inside the kingdom.

As the she-cat went into the town again she noticed a cat hammering a sign on a store's wall. She got close to see what it was about. The sign said a big party would be taking place tonight in front of the palace, celebrating the return of General Grune who came back to Thundera after many years gone. It also said everyone in the kingdom must attend. More people got close to the sign so the puma took it as her cue to yield to them and stepped aside as she heard the murmuring and buzzing growing in the air.

The more she thought about the celebration Pumyra realized it was more than sure that the prince Lion-O would make presence in the event. She felt kind of frustrated and asked to herself why should that matter to her? And then the lion's words came to her mind.

"_I'll find you. I promise." _Since that moment she knew they would meet again. Pumyra felt the sameweird feeling she got when he took off hours ago. She shook her head trying to ignore the blush that wanted to form on her face and decided to leave their encounter to chance, without much of a caring nor holding her hopes up.

Meanwhile Lion-O looked down at the kingdom from a large window at the palace finding his adopted brother returning back home. He did wonder where he went but didn't get close to ask about it. Instead he looked even farther where workers and maidens along with other cats were getting everything ready in time for the celebration.

Snarf appeared behind him fallowed by Jaga not very far. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the party?" He asked letting show some interest.

"I was just taking a look. I'll be ready soon, Jaga." The prince answered quickly.

"Your father told me about the unfortunate lost of General Panthro." The jaguar now sadden his expression.

Lion-O lowered his head and held a moment of silence. It was hard making himself to the idea, ever since he could remember he knew Panthro as the greatest warrior of Thundera's army. There were few situations he couldn't handle no matter how dangerous. And was also a great and dear friend of his father…-_his father_-…the young lion thought about how hard it was for him and yet he still got the will to look ahead of that and hold a celebration in honor to the general that did return. He imagined his father's strength to keep his head up, and as he should; Lion-O followed his example. "Even so, there's going to be a party here. I'll go get prepared now." And excused himself.

The saber tooth's gift for the King stood in the palace's entrance, there were no longer lizards around it for they were taken as prisoners a while ago. Before the king's guards arrived to take the rock to the center of the square before the celebration, no one became aware of the silent presence of General Lynx-O sniffing around to make sure no one approached the stone. His nose did sense something and sniffed some more. "A cat?" He mused. "Who's there?"

The mysterious cat got frozen on his place as he heard and saw the general. "Lynx-O."

After many years the lynx still recognized his scent and his voice. "General Grune? Why, what are you doing around here? Isn't the party held in your honor?"

The fur in Grune's neck bristled. The sense of smell of the blind cat was famous in the army, the saber tooth couldn't let Lynx-O sniff any closer to the stone or he may smell more than what was good for him. "It's been a long time, old friend. I heard the King wanted his gift to be taken to the square and I just wanted to make sure the way to there was clear." The large cat walked over to Lynx-O and put his arm around his shoulders guiding him to the other side of the square to continue with his other duties. "Come on, your soldiers must be on their way here for the transfer. Your work here is done and the party is about to start."

"Yes, I know. Unfortunately I won't enjoy it the same way you will, general." The blind cat said carefree as the other cat guided him.

"Oh, don't worry about that…tonight will be a celebration _every cat _will enjoy." A mischievous smirk drawn on the saber tooth's face, unluckily, one the other general didn't see.

Evening soon came, everyone in Thundera gathered to listen to the king's words before the celebration.

"It was many seasons ago when I sent out generals Grune and Panthro to find the fabled book of omens. While it remains lost, Grune has returned with tales of adventure, great treasure, and new lands to conquer…Today, we show him our appreciation!" The general took a step forward to receive his applauses and ovations. Quickly music, dance and fun filled the atmosphere.

Claudus noticed his son didn't seem to join them on their table. "Lion-O, will you not join us?" He asked soundly.

The young lion turned to see his father as he thought of something to say next. "I, uh- I'll just walk around. You know…get some acquaintances." He said awkwardly.

Tygra raised an eyebrow at the way he said _acquaintances_ and decided to stay close to his little brother. "I'll go too. We'll be back soon father." He said politely.

Their father let out a sigh almost like a growl. "Very well. I expect you to join me before our meal arrives our table." Only the tiger nodded his head, then Claudus walked away with Grune following close.

Lion-O felt himself being monitored and shot a look at his brother. "I don't need you to watch over me."

"And I won't…You go your own way, I'll go mine." Tygra told him with a self-righteous smile and leaved him alone.

Near the snacks tables, a fat cat took a drink when he felt a tug on his coat. "Good day sir, Willykat and Kit at your service." The cat looked down and found a pair of cubs in tattered clothing. "Perhaps my sister and I can interest you in a melodic melody?" The little boy smiled.

"Get away from me, you filthy street urchins." The cat shouted in a kind-of-drunk voice.

But the kids were persistent as the girl sais…"Oh but I'm quite good. And you only need to pay if my gentle song moves your caring heart." Taking her rounded flute out of her pocket.

"I said-" The fat cat was about to yell again but the soft hypnotic song changed his mind. "Your music is lovely, as the day is long." Dancing and swinging to the sound of the instrument.

While Willykit played, she distracted the feline allowing her brother to dig into his pockets. "Ew…what does he keep in here?" Throwing some fish's bones from the cat's pouch, the remains of an apple, until he found what he was looking for. "Oh, here we go!" And ran away with a handful of golden coins.

Once Willykat got away, Kit ended her melody…pulling the fat cat out of his trance. "I said scram, kids!" Waving his fist in the air.

The little cub bowed down. "Of course, sorry to bother you." And ran after her brother, both grinning as they left the party.

Going through the crowd, they douched every cat on their way but one came out of nowhere and Kat stumbled right into her. "Hey!" The female cat turned around sharply, and looked down at the cub laying on the ground with the coins scattered around him.

"You ok?" His sister caught up with him.

The female cat saw them picking up the coins and lifted her gaze seeing a brown furred cat in the distance shaking his fist in the kids' direction. She looked at the kittens again with a severe look. Kit and Kat now with their loot on their hands looked up to her and gulped, it seemed they just got caught.

She waited. The cubs looked at each other. "Well?...what are you waiting for? Go!" Motioning for them to escape. The siblings smiled broadly and got away. The cat's amber eyes followed them as they disappeared into the crowd while her ears got the sound of chuckles and noise.

Far from the party she caught sight of two young cats in front of a pair of stocks in which two lizards where held captives. She remained in the clearing watching them throw tomatoes at the reptiles when someone came along. "Lion-O?" She gasped quietly.

"Cut it out!" The prince drove them away seeing they were picking on the lizards that couldn't defend themselves.

"Please your majesty, show mercy." One of the lizards begged.

"Why should I? If the roles were reversed, you'd have lopped my head off by now." The lion shot back.

Hopeless, the lizard explained they were just scavenging for food when we were captured. While the second lizards cut in, this one sounding more insulting than its partner. "Forget it. Looking for mercy from cats is like trying to squeeze water from a stone."

"Watch your tongue fool. He'll kill us!" The other warned.

"No, I wanna hear this." Lion-O cut it off. "What you mean?"

The second lizard looked him in the eye and told him their kind only attacked to survive. From the way they saw it, for decades the cats has taken control of the best lands and resources leaving the rest of the animals to fight over scraps. Also the only reason for them to steal their crops was to give their children something to eat.

The reptile's words sank into the young lion, making him realized that perhaps it was the cats that did things wrong and felt sorry for them, and guilty from part of his own kind.

The she-cat was watching everything, too bad she couldn't hear a thing from where she stood. Out of nowhere she spotted the other prince getting closer to the scene. "You're not taking this criminal seriously, are you?" Tygra asked his brother resting his hand on his shoulder.

The insulted lizard looked at them and stated their only crime was to be wicker then the cats, and that it was the same for all animals. But the tiger was deaf to its words and ignored it completely. "Let's go, it's time for the games." He parted from the younger prince's side and Lion-O followed, still not feeling quite well about himself.

The royal family gathered together on their table then Claudus proceeded with one more speech, dedicating the following games to the life of the late general and a toast in his honor. After the toast, all the cats moved to the bleachers around a giant tree with many entwined branches standing in the middle of a pond where two cats competed to reach the top and ring the bell that hung on the highest point in a competition of agility and prowess.

On top of the bleachers far from the crowd the soldiers were also entertained watching the competition. One of them in a different way. "Enjoying the games, lynx-O?" A female voice indicated the blind soldier that someone was coming closer, someone familiar. "Tell me again, how can you do it?"

The lynx smiled. "Well…firs of all, I don't bet on who will win like the other soldiers do." He said between chuckles. "I can, anyway, listen to every movement of the game. Their claws climbing. The sound of the water when one is knocked out and the ringing bell when one wins, but I could never tell which of the two cats win. My ears were never good in describing things, you know? "

The two stood in silence, and then the sound of the bell shook the air. "Someone has won." Lynx-O said barely impressed. "What brought you up here, Pumyra?" Not turning to face her.

"Just wanted to say hi to a friend." The puma sat next to the general looking down to the now empty arena.

"Ah, yes." The blind cat fixed himself on his seat and crossed his arms. "How have you been all this time?"

Her gaze stayed blank as she thought over. "Yesterday I would've told you things have been quiet around me." She paused. "The last time we saw each- I saw you, I was too young to join the King's army. Even after the training I didn't make it-"

"It sounds as if you insinuate my training was in vain." Lynx-O interrupted.

"Don't say that. You know I learned a lot from you. I was too young at the time, that's all." Pumyra assured him, though you knew he didn't mean it to make her feel bad.

"And now?" Her friend asked.

The female looked at him, down to her knees and back at him again. "It's funny, I am doing the exact opposite thing of what I wanted then. And I find myself happy doing it." A satisfied smile drew on her lips, although Lynx-O couldn't see it he could sense it.

"And what's that?"

"Instead of attacking people I take care of those that are sick or injured instead..."

The general let out a little laugh. "But I did not train you to hurt others, child. I trained you to defend yourself and protect our people." He said wisely.

Pumyra's eyes widened and felt a little ashamed. "I know. That didn't come out right." Her gaze fell to a side.

"Anyhow, I'm glad you show interest not only in protecting but also in taking care of others." The blind cat reassured her with a hand on her shoulder and a peaceful gesture. Suddenly the sound of trumpets announced a new round in the arena was about to begin. "Who's up now?" Lynx-O asked.

The she-cat leaned down to take a closer look and her eyes widened again. The cat beside her still waiting for her answer. "Lio- It's the princes, both of them." She said startled.

The trumpets gave the start signal to the competitors, Lion-O started with all his strength trying to get a head start while Tygra seemed to be far behind until the lion realized that was not so.

"I'm right behind you, Lion-O." The tiger warned leaping over him.

Feeling him on his back, the younger prince threw a kick backwards attempting to get rid of the tiger but Tygra blocked the kick and threw a successful punch to his brother's face sending him falling down the log. The lion rolled down but he clutched firmly with his claws to the log. Viewers began to cheer and scream in the tiger's favor. He looked up to his adopted brother who had the advantage now, refusing to lose he growled at him and climbed his way back up catching up with Tygra in no time. Both cats fought their way to the bell throwing punches to one another, Lion-O made it connecting a strong one to Tygra's cheek but it didn't worked to make him fall out of the tree.

The striped cat counterattacked whirling and kicking the lion to the branch below them at the same time he climbed the highest branch to the bell and looked down the lion with a cocky smile seeing himself already as the winner. "When it comes to everything except the crown, you're always going to be second place!"

The young prince refused to give up and climber once more. Settled on knocking him out of the tree, Lion-O jumped over him stretching his arm to attack, unfortunately this leaved him defense open and unable to block the fist that crashed on his face knocking him off the tree entirely as he fell into the pond below.

The shocked gasp from the crowd sounded over the place. Quickly Lion-O came out of the water under to see his adopted brother hanging from the bell as the ringing sound announced his victory, all the gasp and sighs now turned into cheers for the tiger.

On the bleachers Lynx-O might not seen it but Pumyra did. She watch as the round's winner jumped off the bell and raising his hand in victory to the witnesses. She then looked down at the pond but the lion already left the place, her eyes searched for him but he was nowhere to be seen. She got up from her seat. "Good bye, Lynx-O." She said quickly and leaved.

On a tower away from the party, Lion-O and Snarf watched over the celebration. The young lion looked at his rounded piece of tech as he remembered what leaded him to go against Tygra at the ancient tree...

_In__the royal table __while __Grune __and the King __talked about __his long journey__, __Lion__-O __listened __enthusiastically to the stories __but his __curiosity got to him __leading him to __ask __the __saber tooth__ if he __had encountered __any kind of technology on his trip__ to which __the general __responded that he found __nothing even resembling it. _

_Then Tygra added.__ "__Perhaps what the skeptics say is true. __The book's existence is no more real__than its stories of technology or Mumm-Ra."_

The prince felt even worse knowing he just lost against his brother before everyone's eyes in Thundera. "It's official, they think I'm a failure...and they always will unless I can prove I'm not chasing a childish dream." He said to himself. "But...How can I do that? When even Grune said there was no tech out there!" He and his pet turned around to the sound of steps.

"Don't let what Grune failed to see stand in the way of what you believe." Said Jaga coming out of the shadows. "The book says that our greatest King will possess the ability of sight beyond sight."

"You mean like...having visions?" The young lion asked in concern.

"More than that, Lion-O. It's the ability to lead with clarity...For sight is useless without action." The cleric returned.

The prince is left thinking, reviewing the vision he had through the Sword of Omens that day during the rite. About those red eyes and grim face..."There's something I need to talk to you about, Jaga."

"There will be time to talk later."The elder cat smiled. "There's a party still going on, enjoy yourself."

Lion-O smiled back and waited for him to walk out of there so he could then take the piece of tech to a hiding place. After doing so he walked down the stairs heading to the party, Snarf next to him sniffed something that got his attention and ran off following the scent. The young lion did nothing to stop his little friend and was about to go to the party when someone stopped him on his track.

"Having fun?" On his right he got sight of the cat lifting from the wall she was leaning against and walking towards him.

He looked surprised to see her. "Pumyra-"

"You said you would find me...it seems to me I found you." Now standing in front of him.

Lion-O then remembered what he said to her the last time they met that day and started to feel kind of nervous. "About that, I-" Rubbing his neck. "I'm sorry, I wasn't actually-"

"Don't apologize. I could not ask you to do that." She shot him in a cold voice.

"Even so, I would've liked to..." He let out failing at hiding his awkwardness.

_He would have liked to? _She remained thinking. "You sure are...different, your majesty." Raising an eyebrow.

The word _different _sounded familiar to the prince. He looked her in the eye when...

"Lion-O!" Both turned to see the tiger calling for him. "What are you doing here? I wanted to make sure you were ok, you know after-"

"Don't worry, Tygra!" His little brother cut him off. "I'm fine."

Then Tygra noted the puma making him company. "Who is she?" Letting out a little bit of interest, something the two other cats made notice of and both frowned at him. The other prince was impressed seeing both cats reacting in the same way.

"You wanted to know how I was...well, like I said I'm fine" It was very childish of him but he did not mind at the time and took Pumyra by the hand walking away past the tiger. He just thought about getting away from his brother for a while and didn't wonder why did he take her along with him.

As both forced their steps the puma called to him. "Wait! Lion-O!"

The lion stopped as Tygra followed them close behind but it wasn't Pumyra the reason he stopped, and he did it near the spot where the lizards stayed captive. But what really got his attention was that now there was a big group of cats shouting and waving torches around them, the lion feared they would try to hurt the lizards any moment now.

"What is it, Lion-O?" His brother asked.

The female cat looked at him puzzled with her hand now released. The young prince jerked his head to see his brother. "Look." Pointing to a little crowd. "We can't let this happen." And took off toward the stocks.

Pumyra stood still and watched the tiger going after him.

"Why?" Tygra stopped him trying to talk some sense into him. "They're our greatest enemy, Lion-O."

"Well, maybe they don't have to be." Lion-O passed through the mob standing right between the angry cats and the reptiles. "This lizards has done us no harm, they don't deserve this!"

One of the cats stood up to him stating that they shouldn't be bulling the lizards but that they should kill them instead but Lion-O refused to let them get any closer.

"What's he doing?" The she-cat asked startled.

The tiger looked at the mob. "He's getting his tail in troubles...as usual."

They watched as Lion-O stood alone against the cats. Tygra and Pumyra looked at the one that appeared to be the leader blowing a wooden stick against him, the second blow throw him backwards to fall over his back. The crowd encouraging the leader to keep going.

Tygra saw he had to interfere when the lion tried to stand up but when the cat with the staff sent him back to the floor with a hit across his chest the tiger heard a harsh growl behind him and next thing he saw was Pumyra storming toward the crowd.

"Get out of my way, or you'll wind up in those stocks yourself!" The wild cat threatened the prince. He was about to attack again, but the puma pounced on him wrathfully pinning him down past the lizards and against the wall.

Lion-O looked shocked at how pissed she seemed and ready to attack. "Pumyra, don't!" But the cat seemed not to listen to him.

The angry cats looked at her and wanted to start a bigger fight when the tiger made his way through them to stand next to his brother. "Now, I hope you're very sure you want to do this. Otherwise you're gonna regret it."

The mob were not surprise and since they outnumbered them decided to attack anyway. "Well, I think...you are the one that's going to regret it." One of them said with a smirk.

"Well, I don't." Another female cat leaped above the crowd siding with the princes as she unfolded her staff.

The younger prince was slightly surprised to see the cheetah who saved him at the slums that morning. "Twice in one day, now I know you're following me."

"Right into trouble, again." She replayed over her shoulder.

None of the cats were backing down so Tygra ready himself wielding his whip and used it to keep the cats at bay. "Now you see me...Now you don't." One lash from his whip allowed the tiger to become invisible before their eyes and then reappear behind a confused cat throwing a punch at him knocking him out of combat.

Cheetara also kept her opponents away spinning her weapon at them but they kept coming so she went from blocking to running. "Try and catch me!" At incredible speed she ran through all of them while connecting assertive hits on her way out. But then there was a bigger group of cats surrounding her though little affected her as she sent them away with more blows of the weapon.

Now Pumyra realized that the fight was taking place behind her back while struggling with the wild cat she got against the wall. She knocked the air out of him with a blow from her elbow and grabbed him by the shirt to throw him against the rest of the mob. A black cat pounced on her with a wooden stick which she easily sidestepped and responded with a kick to his face.

Lion-O was also avoiding punches and hits from another wild cat waving a torch against him. The prince stepped forward, past the torch and elbowed the cat on the face making him fall on his back. The cats around him were all deciding who's turn was to go next till one stepped in. Lion-O saw him coming and threw his arm to grab him by the shirt and prepared raising his fist against him when...

"Lion-O!"

Everyone stopped and looked at the king approaching the place fallowed by Grune and two guards. "What is going on here? Protecting lizards?" The king's gaze fell hard on his son.

"No, I'm protecting us...from turning in to the very cold-brooded creatures we fear." Again Lion-O stood firmly in front of the abused reptiles before his father. "This lizards did nothing and should be released." All cats and lizards too, looked at the young lion in awe.

"Release them? Don't be foolish. As Lord of the Thundercats it is my duty to keep our people safe, and one day it will be yours." His father reasoned.

"You wanted me to start acting like a king, well this is it. And I don't think the only way to rule is with the sword. Maybe we'd have less trouble with the lizards if we weren't always repressing them." Claudus looked intently in his eyes and saw full conviction to his words, the kind he hoped to see in him for a long time.

Lion-O and the lizards waited for the king's verdict. they more frighten than the prince. After a moment the large lion nodded to free the prisoners as the guards hurried to do so breaking the stocks' locks letting the lizards to get away.

"Consider this an act of goodwill between the species." And then the king walked closer to the lion prince. "Perhaps now, you might show some goodwill of your own and take your responsibilities as prince more seriously." Getting a sharp nod from him.

Lion-O stood still on his place watching his father and company walking away, Cheetara standing the nearest beside him.

Tygra sheathed his whip with a smug face watching at the group of cats now lowering their weapons and ducking their heads as they all left the place. His face was no longer as smug as he looked over to his brother and the cheetah. He looked at them intriguingly recalling that brief interaction between them -_Do they know each other?- _He wondered.

Before anyone could speak up, the blonde cat disappeared with great speed. From the other end of the place, Pumyra seemed and felt confused, she couldn't believe Lion-O stood up to his own people just to protect some lizards, for a moment she thought if he was actually crazy...or not? The puma looked at the young prince trying to figure out what was really going on with him.

After everyone was gone, Lion-O went to the walls of the kingdom and looked to the outsides as the two lizards from earlier were released out of Thundera, going probably back to their home he hoped.

But he was not alone. "You don't get it, do you?" He asked to the cat standing beside him.

"You red my mind, I don't." Pumyra lifted herself from the edge. "But, you made your point very clear."

The lion looked at her thoroughly and wondered. "So, you don't agree with me and yet defended me when that cat attacked me?"

Just thinking about it made her feel cold on her back, she couldn't understand what's got into her back there but answered anyway. "I can't believe those cats dared to go against you with their fists. As thunderians, from the moment we're cubs we swear our loyalty to our king-"

The young lion interrupted her. "There you have it. I'm not the king."

"But you are the heir to the crown. Our loyalty is with you too." She shot him matter-of-factly.

Now Lion-O could appreciate the kind of cat she was and was glad of that. Even so, he didn't feel better about it. "Maybe that's not how I look to their eyes...I know everyone would rather have Tygra as the future king." Sounding defeated as he ducked his head.

"I don't." The prince rose up his gaze, feeling his heart skip a beat. Their eyes remained locked for a while until the female cat bowed her head..."Good night, Prince Lion-O." She turned around.

He hesitate just a second but grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Pumyra...thank-" Unable to go on as Pumyra pressed her lips against his. The lion's eyes widened in astonishment but loosen up quickly as he returned the kiss gently.

She didn't know why at the moment, but felt that that was the way she wanted him to thank her. Even though she wasn't sure what was there to thank her for...

Hidden in a tower not so far from them, the moonlight allowed someone to see it all. Someone watching over the prince. "Interesting." Smiling to herself.

"It is." The voice of a male cat got her attention.

The she-cat was impressed she was not able to detect another presence close to her. But that fact didn't surprise her much as she saw whose presence that was. She found herself mute but kept her calm expression on her face.

"It's been a long time, Cheetara." The serious voice said.

The cheetah was glad to see him but she was good at hiding it. She had to for she was on duty right now.

The tiger didn't know what was she was watching over, and he didn't care. "How long is been since you know each other?" He asked.

"We don't know each other. We just met once." She answered in her usual pacific voice.

"Twice. According to Lion-O."

Cheetara wished he wouldn't have shown, reunite with this tiger under those circumstances wasn't exactly what she would've hoped. The prince walked over her and glanced down to where she was looking before he arrived. There he spotted Lion-O who was alone walking away. His eyes narrowed and looked at the female cat. "You're spying on him?" Imagining what her motives could be made him feel something breaking inside.

She saw it in his eyes, Tygra was getting the wrong idea. It was part of her job, but that was something he couldn't know, he shouldn't know for now. "I'm sorry, Tygra." She said sadly and ran toward the edge of the tower and left.

He looked to where she stood a second ago and then glare at his brother far in de distance now, his fists tightened as it did his teeth.

Down at the square, the party was long over. Snarf got to the giant stone Grune brought. The furry creature played around making face on his reflection in the yellow stones encrusted in it. Soon he got bored of it and headed content to the palace. In the darkness, something else reflected on the yellow stone but from the inside of it, something evil and dangerous.

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**I remind everyone the petition to keep Thundercats for another season has almost reached 10,000 signs so keep them going. There are other ways to show our suport to the show. Check on **  
**Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry for the delay guys! I really had to struggle with this one. I hope to get the next one sooner...hope you enjoy it. Thank you all for reviewing :)

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First in the morning, the King's Clerics were among the first to wake up to begin their usual arduous training; holiday or not, the day before. Their master Jaga paid close attention to every movement of every one of his protégés. The clerics always gave one hundred percent in every practice and all their work was excellent not the least, hence they were the special guard of the king, and their teacher took pains to keep it that way.

Jaga split the clerics in groups of six to go over the latest training track he had designed for their training which was an intricate circuit of curves, zigzag and moving obstacles swinging throughout the way.  
In past occasions, any of the students were able to complete this race to perfection, even the best of them. Regardless how good they all were, the head cleric never liked to make things easy for them. Satisfactorily, that day, progress showed up from many of them and only a two or three were dismissed thrown out of the track by the huge steel pendulums that swung unpredictably above them.  
Still, he jaguar noted something unusual on one of his students' movements, then when all the groups finished their rounds -and because they had been training for over three hours in a row- he made them take a break and went over to his disciple.

The blonde cat took off her cleric garb and her eyes looked for her bottled water when form the corner of her eye she cough sight of the elder cat approaching her. Intuition told her Jaga noticed the hardly visible flaws in her performance and greeted him tilting her head down in apology. "I'm sorry, Jaga. I think my mind was running in the wrong direction I think. I'll do better next time."

Her mentor raised his hand stopping her. "No need to apologize for that. It's normal to have a bad day every now and then." His voice always calm and understanding. Cheetara always found amazing how Jaga was a rigorous teacher to the clerics, but never showed that rigor through shouts or punishments of any sort. "Now. Anyone can deconcentrated with a reason in the middle. Care to share yours?"

The cheetah then looked into his eyes, his humble expression and gave him a smile just as humble. Cheetara loved his teacher like her own father, that love was only matched by the great respect she had for him. That and years of knowing each other gave Cheetara the certainty that she could tell him anything...But decided not to rush into it. "Last night went alright, if you can say that." She shrugged but stood firm. "But I got caught." In a lower voice sounding still surprised to herself.

The elder cleric's eyebrows rose slightly. "Did you have trouble?"

Cheetara shook her head. "No problems, regarding my duties..." She affirmed. "There was someone watching me." She paused but Jaga's gaze told her to proceed, although she did not want to expose the personal face of that reunion and limited herself to talk about her task at hand that night. "Tygra, he...caught me watching over Lion-O so I left without a word."

Jaga listened carefully and wondered if the reason for the prince to sneak behind her had been looking after his younger brother or was looking for something else. "That young boy has more capabilities than those of different nature he usually shows." Her master say thoughtfully sensing there was more to the tiger than only his cockiness. Then he returned back to her. "Do not let that encounter disturb you. You don't need to pretend to be spying on Lion-O." And added. "I'm sure you'll find another way, besides, I am very pleased with your work so far." He guaranteed with a hand on her shoulder.

The cheetah nodded in thanks for his endless trust and excused herself to continue with the training hoping it would also help to clear her mind.

Now not so early in the morning someone's eyes flattered open after stretched out her arms a bit. Pumyra felt her bed more comfortable than she was used to as the pillow felt as if caressing her cheek. She then turned her head to stare at the ceiling when the night before popped up in her head.

The celebration... although for her, overnight happened anything but. Sure, it was a good opportunity to see her friend Lynx-O after many years, to watch some interesting rounds at the ancient tree...the she-cat even ran down into some action as well.

Her features which remained neutral till then, drawn a warm smile while reminiscing that brief kiss between her and the lion prince. Her thoughts stopped at that single moment when she turned and her lips met with Lion-O's. She was not sure of what led her to lean over to him…the second their lips touched she guessed that perhaps it would be a one-time-thing.

It was easy to think that way since Lion-O, someday, would become the king of Thundera and not for a minute she ever pretended to fly _that_ high. It was just not going to happen for her, she kept thinking. Still she couldn't explain it but neither denied something about the prince attracted her and maybe because of that she did what she did out of an infatuation. "_It was __nice while it lasted_." She murmured on her mind daydreaming.

She sure surprised the young lion when she turned around and surprised herself as well because of her action back then, but what happened next stunned her even more. He kissed back. When she started the kiss, she did it quick, somewhat rough and thought it would scare him, yet he responded with such softness as his lips embraced hers that she had to resist the feeling of her knees weakening. It was a big shock to have had a reaction like that for the first time in her life.

Still lying in bed Pumyra covered her eyes with her arm and rewound; '_nice_ was an understatement'..."But I've got to get over it!" Escaped her out loud. Her heart jumped but it was 'cause of the unexpected knock to the door.

She wondered who it might be and got off the bed. "Who is it?" Asked before opening.

"Please, I heard you're a doctor…my husband had an accident at home, could you help him?" Replied the worried voice of a woman on the other side of the door.

The puma did not wait long to open the door and see her face. "I'm not, an actual doctor, but I sure can help you. Come on." Pumyra grabbed a bag with her things to work and followed the cat.

At the palace Tygra walked down the corridor with something hanging in his hand and stopped in front of a hand carved door. He knocked twice.

His brother took his time opening the door for him. "What do you want?"

The tiger frowned at the greeting but soon changed to a smug smirk. "I came to know if you plan to keep your word as you told father and see if you can stand a sparring session with swords against me." Now resting the sword he was previously carrying on his shoulder.

Lion-O so wanted to refuse and get out of there not feeling in the mood to spare with the tiger, then again, Tygra had to mention their father. Also, seeing that smile on his face made him recall his defeat at the ancient tree and boiled up his want for rematch. "Fine. Meet you in the backyard later." The young lion said sighing heavily. He then waited for his brother to turn around and leave before closing the door of his room.

The tiger practiced some strikes with the sword in a testing manner when his little brother showed up in the doors way as he took another sword that was on a bench. "About time." And threw the sword to the lion's hands.

"Let's get this over with." Lion-O replayed and walked toward the yard.

The adopted prince watched his opponent clinically and slowly began to encircling him pointing his weapon permanently at his target.

Lion-O already knew his strategy. Tygra kept an eye on each one of his movements, something he was very good at hence the lion never attempted to make the first move cause his brother foresaw them every time. The young prince hoped he would grow tired of waiting. Unfortunately his foot toot a bad step Tygra clearly noted and took the opportunity to attack.

Tygra focused on trying to reach his brother's arm with the side of the blade trying to break his own record making the lion drop his weapon but Lion-O wasn't that slow and managed to block the first blow from him. Tygra's blade slid forward following his body's movement twirling and coming back with a new thrust. His brother blocked this one too, not so secured this time as the sword trembled slightly in his hand. Until that moment Lion-O was defending but seeing he would not have so much luck with the tiger's next move he went to fight back.

The lion prince raised his sword against the tiger but he had a similar idea and stopped the weapon coming toward him raising his own sword en route Tygra quickly threw his fist at his brother just touching him with his knuckles pushing him to step backwards.

"You left your defense open. When're you gonna learn, Lion-O?" Tygra scoffed.

The lion snarled at the comment and tighten the grip on the hilt of his sword with both his hands. As usual his brother was getting under his skin and without thinking launched several quick attacks against him, his sword coming from right and left to hit his target. Every thrust was being actually received by the defense of his older brother though.

Lion-O then tried stepping back and twirled throwing an unexpected blow at Tygra but the late jumped back into the air dodging it . The younger cat intended to stay relaxed but his brother was stronger, faster and he hated it.

Without waiting for his feet to touch the ground Lion-O raised his blade at him once more, this almost throwing the tiger out of balance because the other prince blocked the attack with his sword as he held the blade with his free hand and then pushed forward keeping the distance between them.

"That wasn't half bad." Tygra granted with a small pant coming from his mouth but a winning grin.

He was pushing his little brother's buttons again and Lion-O struck again. Swords clashing against each other. "Too bad you didn't do something like that against those cats last night, instead of letting that average cat jumped up to defend you."

That certainly got the young lion's attention. The tiger took advantage of that and drew the prince's blade away with his own and threw his brother to the ground with a punch on his face.

The young lion felt the burning on his cheek and whined. "That was cheating!"

"Actually, I was making a point." His brother said fully calm.

"That's not true, you distracted me!" Lion-O shot back.

"It wasn't me...It was that girl." Tygra said. "You should be more careful." He scolded.

"What are you talking about?" The lion raised an eyebrow and got up to his feet looking straight at his brother. "Do I have to think you're worrying about me? Or you're jealous?" He said kind of teasing but really angry.

"As always you're wrong, on both." The striped cat sheathed his sword and stood arms crossed. "I'm proving my point. You never beat me because you can't break my focus, and I have nothing to distract me from my goal. Your lack of concentration and you not having your priorities straight is not my fault, little brother." Tygra did attempted to teach him a good lesson but only ended up frustrating the lion prince.

"Whatever. You didn't have to mention her, I've had enough of this." Lion-O looked angry. At the same time he was angry at himself for having been so easily distracted and defeated again. Without saying anything else he left the place and went inside.

"Even if I said nothing, I would've win anyway, Lion-O...I always win. "Tygra raised his voice as the lion walked away without looking back as he pretended to ignore him.

The prince went straight to his room where he was received by his little pet friend. "You sure are lucky, Snarf." Said tired and collapsed on his bed. Snarf jumped on his chest and tilted his head at the lion. "Never mind me." He suggested with a smile and stroked the creature's head.

The cat-like pet shrugged and sat next to him in his bed and yawned. The prince looked at Snarf falling asleep and then looked at the ceiling thinking as he meditated on his brother's words about having his priorities straight but soon gave up.

Many hours later that afternoon Tygra returned from a walk through the kingdom while recalling things he heard about the party the day before when he found Jaga at that moment in the palace. As he saw the elder cleric something crossed his mind and called the jaguar to speak with him. "Jaga, can I ask you something?"

"I was on my way to meet with your father and general Grune but go on. What can I help you with?" Jaga asked.

"It's about a cat..." He began. "It was years ago but she wanted to train with you as one of your clerics." Young Tiger paused.

"Continue..." Jaga calmly requested.

Tygra took a deep breath. "I just met her and it was for a short time but- I remember she got rejected but after a while you took her in and that was the last time I saw her..."

It wasn't usual in him to have problems to talk. Jaga noticed and tried to help him. "What is it you want to know, Tygra?"

"Did she-"

"Jaga!" The raspy voice of Grune sounded throughout the hall. "Don't keep the king waiting, would you?"

The elder cat and the prince exchanged looks. "Please excuse me, young prince. We'll have to talk some other time." And stepped into the throne's room following the general.

Tygra understood duty called him and left the conversation there so he went down the hall when he noticed the door to Lion-O's chamber half open. He peeped his head inside and seeing what his brother was doing brought back his brief tour of the kingdom to his mind and didn't bother to announce himself. "Now is not the time to be tinkering with junk." Now walking in. "I just come from the streets, the show from last night caused quite an impression on everyone, they think you're crazy as it is."

"It's not junk, it's technology...and I don't care what they think." Lion-O did not bother to look at him and kept dissecting the round piece of metal he brought from the dog Jorma yesterday.

"Maybe you should. People are talking about you pardoning those lizards. They say it's another example of you not taking his position as heir to the crown seriously." The tiger pointed seeing the diagrams pasted on the wall.

"We've been at war with the lizards for generations. Maybe it's time to look at things differently." Lion-O said trying to split the piece in his hands open with a screwdriver.

"That's your problem, Lion-O." Tygra emphasized peeking up a similar piece from the desk. "You look at lizards and see victims. You look at junk and see mythical tech. When are you going to grow up?"

His brother got up from his seat and snatched the piece of his hand. "When I do, I hope I'm nothing like you." Looking defiant.

Feeling offended, Tygra answered with a fearless glare showing his teeth.

In the watchtower a soldier turned his telescope toward the sunset and the fur of his neck bristled at what he saw. "What is _that_?!"

The worried tone in his voice brought the attention of General Lynx-O and bent on the edge to take a sniff. His sense of smell never failed, though this time he wished it did. "Even from this distance I can smell them..._lizards_. And there are many." Quickly turned in the palace's direction and ordered urgently. "Sound the alarm!"

The horn echoed all over the land and a large number of armored cats gathered up their spears, and archers filled their quivers with arrows, all soldiers of the kingdom ran to their positions behind walls.

Down town Pumyra assisted an injured kitten girl when both and the little cat's family hear the alarming sound. The puma looked up in the sky outside the kingdom. The night was falling, soon she got sight of smoke far away and picked the cub up in her arms from the floor taking her inside her house along with her parents and siblings then handed the little she-cat to her mother and locked the door.

"Everyone stay inside." Pumyra warned quietly so it wouldn't frighten the children. She then went over to the window and looked out for any suspicious movement outside.

Then she felt a tug at the end of her dress. The female cat looked down at the kitten clutching at the fabric while looking at her with big glassy eyes. Pumyra soon felt worried and protective about the little girl cat and lifted her in her arms. She stroked her head to comfort her and then drew the cub and the rest of her family away from the window.

At the time, Claudus was having a meeting with Jaga and Grune, one the sound of the horn stopped immediately. Soon both his sons without announcing themselves and all the presents followed the King to the window. The sun almost sunk completely but the light was enough for the large lion to noticed the huge army battalion of lizards marching toward Thundera.

"This attack comes not a day after I pardoned two of those filthy beasts." Concern and anticipation filled his voice turning to see his youngest son standing to his right. "Now do you see the results of leniency?"

Lion-O quickly felt guilty about the sudden attack from the reptiles but could only say. "I was only trying to act like a prince."

"You undermined our power and made the cats look weak." Claudus replied angrily as he headed inside but not after turning back at the young lion. "It's no wonder everyone thinks your brother should be King." The young prince feeling the disappointment of his father fall over him.

"Grune, Tygra, come with me. We need to ready our defenses. Jaga, prepare your clerics." The King commanded.

"And me?" Lion-O asked expectant.

"You will remind here." His father shot him a hard look and left the room along with his other son and the general.

"He's lost all faith in me, Jaga." The young lion said gloomily.

"What is important is that you do not lose faith in yourself." The old man replied.

The lizard army was closer by every minute, the King's soldiers ran to their positions at the base of the wall while the archers covered the top. Catapults from the enemy line were already in sight shooting fireballs banging against the kingdom's walls. The impact echoing from everywhere while shaking the ground beneath the archers feet but they still responded to the attack firing arrows making the lizards on the field to slightly hold back. They ran away protecting themselves from the rain of arrows, still it did nothing to stop the catapults' fireballs that soon reached the insides of the city burning and destroying some buildings.

Pumyra kept going back and forth like a caged animal keeping an eye on the family and looking through the window. She could perceive the growing fire on the streets in the distance but reminded herself to stay calm at all time.

Although the young puma worried about their safety, she soon started to feel frustrated of being locked up in the house too. The a knock on the door made her and the father of the family to go see who could that be. A pair of guards appeared at the door saying they were taking all the cats to the underground shelter and the family soon followed.

Seeing they were being taken to safety Pumyra ran in the opposite direction. "Hey, you! The shelter is this way." One of the guard alerted but she never looked back.

The she-cat scouted the streets watching terrified cats running everywhere when suddenly the ground quivered again making her stop on her feet. After a short while she noticed the thunderians ran on a single, pointing to her where the underground shelter probably was. Anyway she continue looking for a safe way home now able to hear the rallying cry from the King's army along with some foreign weapon's firing she had never heard before.

Standing still wasn't the best idea now so she kept running till she found her house and broke in while another explosion sounded. This one shook the roof above her so the puma wasted no time and rushed to her room, to her night table and opened a drawer from where she took a wooden case. Adjusted its content to her wrist and tied a little pouch filled with ammo to her belt and left the house as fast as she entered.

At his headquarters, Claudus met himself with the fabled Sword of Omens and its gauntlet. He dressed his fist with the golden glove and sheathed the sword in it.

On the front line the King on his mount faced his waiting army to hear his orders. "Thundera once again turns to you, noble warriors, to defend her. Tonight, as we go into battle, I only ask that you fight like cats for our ancestors, for the pride." The now encouraged cats charged to the opening gates of the city to be greeted by more fireballs.

"Fire!" Archers returned the attack at the lion's signal.

While all the action was taking place at the front fields of the kingdom, the square was deserted with the suspicious rock still resting in the middle of the it from the night before. But now something pushed the yellow stones on it from inside making them fall from the main rock. Lots of lizards emerging from the holes quietly spreading across the territory.

"It was getting a bit rank in there, general Slithe." One of the lizards went to the largest, most disgusting of them.

"A night in that rock is nothing compared to how long I've waited to set foot inside the cats' impenetrable castle." Slithe replied bitterly. At the same time a group of lizards headed to the palace's dungeons and freed the lizards that got captured by cats on past occasions. The rest of them began to place small blinking devices in specific parts of the city.

"This time you'll finally fall, Claudus." The lizard general scoffed ambitiously planting one of the devices on a statue resembling the named cat.

The guards were still moving more thunderians to the underground shelter but two cubs went unnoticed as they made their way out of there. "Come on, Kit. We have to get out of here." The boy took his sister by the arm and fled just in time before a ball of fire impacted on the refuge, burning it completely along with the cats trapped inside behind them..."That could have been us!" Willykat feared.

"Come on, we can't stay here." His sister said frightened and both cubs ran to some stairs. Unfortunately a lizards trooper received them pointing at them with a laser weapon.

"You're not going any-ught!" A strange object shut him up hitting the lizard on its mouth.

At great speed the cubs' rescuer ran past them and knocked the gun out of the reptile's hands and threw a knee to its jaw. "Are you two ok? Why aren't you inside the shelter?" The puma asked short of breath.

The kids nodded to the first question. Pumyra looked over their heads to where the refuge was supposed to be but all she saw was rubble wrapped in flames. She shut her eyes tightly at the tragic sight picturing all the people with no chance of escape on her mind. Still, she refused to give up and walked the two cub to the stairs. "Listen, you have to get out of here now! Run." She told them in a commanding voice.

The two started walking away but then turned to her. "Where are you going?"

"I'll tell you where _you're_ going...To a safe place, don't waste time!" Now looking angry at them. The two little cats shivered at her shout and looked at each other wondering why a perfect stranger cared that much about their safety. They both ended doing as she said and leaved her behind.

The sky was filled with smoke, ashes flying everywhere, the enemy suddenly stopped firing at the cats and the silence covered it all. Tygra and Claudus stopped their mounts at the sound of what sounded like _gears_. Everyone looked at the sky expectantly when from within the forest a giant missile sailed through the air passing them going right to the flashing devices left inside the city by the infiltrated lizards, the devices acting as trackers to the rockets. The large bomb-like weapon impacted setting the city finally on hungry flames, leaving the entire army looking perplexed and shocked.

Among the trees several machines continued to fire into the kingdom with nothing stopping them. "By Thundera, what sorcery is this?!" Claudus questioned as the big machines marched toward the city. Tygra looked at his father and then to the surroundings, for the first time, not knowing what to do next. The situation was just getting worst for the cats.

From his room, Lion-O and his pet looked horrified at the destruction of their home. The sky, everything around them had become a blazing hell. Another missile crossed near the tower where they were but it fell into the palace breaking the Sphinx's head crowning the royal building. "I can't believe it, Snarf. Technology was my dream...How did it become my nightmare?" Lion-O grabbed his telescope for a closer look and saw something very familiar to him. Two lizards were placing a metal piece similar to his piece of technology on a wall and saw them placing their fingers on the display that was on one side of it, the lizards got away from the device and seconds later it exploded.

Now the lion finally understood the piece's working and what it purpose was, quickly turned and opened a hidden door on the wall of his room where he kept every piece of technology that was gathered by him and went straight to the circular piece testing the mechanism of it to see if it worked...it worked. " All those years of having to listen to people tell me I was crazy for believing in this...Well, Snarf, it's about to pay off." He packed the device and ran down the corridor. Abruptly stopping to stare once again with his telescope out a window trying to find a safe way to his father and brother.

Lion-O thought he saw something moving among the buildings on fire and took another look. What he saw left him shocked. "No..." He then hurried out of the palace, Snarf close behind.

Pumyra passed through the flaming buildings of Thundera but found herself on a dead end around the corner. Another rocket crossed above her crashing a tower, a cat got fired out of it. "Lynx-O?...Lynx-O!" The female cat ran to his aid.

"Pumyra?" The general asked at the sound of her voice, the girl got next to him and tried to lift him resting his arm across her shoulders when she noted his right arm completely stained with his blood. "Save yourself, Pumyra." The blind cat breathed.

"What? No way I'm leaving you here, Lynx-O." She replayed helping the general to his feet but he was too heavy.

"It's too late for me. Listen..." His breathing became erratic.

"Save your strength, would you?" The young puma insisted with a huff.

"Lizards- Th-they're taking over..." Lynx-O panted tiredly.

"Pumyra!" Someone screamed.

"Lion-O?" The female cat seemed surprised to see the prince running to them. She wondered why he wasn't fighting beside the king but her head had more important things to take care of. "Prince Lion-O...please, take him out of here." Feeling the lynx heavier by the minute.

"The lizards-"

"And gain, I won't leave you here!" She cut him harshly trying to keep holding him up.

The lion approached and carefully took the other side of the general. "Pumyra, he is trying to tell us something."

"Yes...the lizards. They are not just outside, they're attacking inside the walls too. " The pain of his arm became more acute spreading to the right side of the blind cat's chest. "Your majesty, just leave me. It's very dangerous for you to stay here." Lynx-O's eyes seemed to be searching for the prince though they could not see at all. "Take Pumyra with you." He pleaded.

Lion-O now felt the full weight of Lynx-O as Pumyra let go of him. "What are you doing?" He asked concerned.

"If they're inside. I'm getting them out." The fire around them reflected in her eyes but also reflected her own anger. "Take Lynx-O out of Thundera, the shelter is no longer of any use." She said dryly to the young lion.

"No." Lion-O called. "You and the general get safe, I have to do this...as prince I am..." He tried to sound like his father but it was impossible for Pumyra not to see the fear in his eyes.

"Sorry...my prince." She disobeyed and ran to the battlefield.

"Pumyra!" The prince cried after her in vain. "She's gone crazy-" He said quietly to himself, forgetting Lynx-O was mounted on his shoulder.

"Pumyra is not crazy. She's just hurt...but she's always had a brash way of showing it." There was a hurtful feeling in the sound of his voice that Lion-O sensed.

"Sounds like you've known each other for a while." Lion-O pointed kindly.

Lynx-O smiled listening to where the voice came from but his face hardened quickly. "It's too late for me. Please Prince Lion-O, Pumyra is a good fighter but-" The general's free hand squeezed his side as he tried to regain his breath. "Hurry, letting her on her own against them...could be..._suicidal_..." The lynx vanished completely soon after.

"General?...Lynx-O!" Lion-O called but the cat was unconscious. The young lion leaned him against the wall where Pumyra found him moments before. Then his eyes looked desperately in the direction she took.

The cats were having problems facing the machines and the king commanded them to step back behind the walls. The soldiers turned around but were surprised by General Slithe and his troopers. "How quickly things changed for the cats. From top predators to endangered species in a single day." Sneered the ugly reptile while blocking the way in.

"Will nothing stop them?" Claudus exclaimed contemplating the imminent defeat.

"I believe there is one thing, my Lord." The king turned to see Grune.

The saber tooth pulled out a small gun and shot a bright signal to the sky. Soon after the light dissipated the machines ceased fire immediately and held themselves motionless. The lion and his adopted son watched in amazement as the lizard army ceased their attack as well.

"Grune...what's going on?"

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Cliff hanger, I know. The next/last chapter will be more rewarding, I promise.

I call this chap. 'War's Introduction' because I feel like that's all that it was about. I was lazy at the beginning of the writing must admit, then remembered...it was that flashback of Pumyra from '_**What lies above Pt. 2**__'_ what inspired me to write this particular story so I felt like I had to explain well how she got there and that's why this part of the fic is so _Pumyra-centered_.

**A/N: **There are some news regarding _**Thundercats**_ you fans just might want to read; I'm posting them on my profile for anyone who wants to take a look. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

This is the end guys! It was an arduous work but also real fun to do, even though I had to use time I didn't have to finish it. (Like writing till four in the morning on a school day ^^u) This is the largest chapter I've ever written until now; I really wanted to end the story giving each episode two parts, so here it is. Thanks for your support and reviews to all of you. And just to let you know, reading your comments is as fun as writing this. I mean it!

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Lion-O stood looking between the unconscious general and the passage covered in the flames the young puma followed a moment ago, the frenetic sound of his heartbeat hindered the prince's thoughts unable to decide what to do next. Lynx-O still had a chance to survive only if he was brought out of the flames and the smoke around him. However, the general warned if the lion did not act quickly Pumyra could suffer a worse fate, which frightened and disturbed him even more.

Lion-O became desperate as his fingers ran through his fiery mane, suddenly he realized the silence that created in the air as if the attacks had ceased for a moment. The peaceful atmosphere helped him to finally react and loaded the lynx up on his shoulders the best he could and crossed the wide streets.

The road to the palace seemed more distant than it should've been adding the additional weight of the general over him...but no matter what the lion never stopped running.

Tired and short aired he made it to the stalls. Watching half the building collapsed Lion-O feared no animal would've survived. He regained some air and rested Lynx-O's body against a stone wall torn down. The material of the barn prevented the fire from spreading even more and the flames slowly died out making it less noxious to the unconscious cat.

The lion prince let out a sigh of relief but the relaxing feeling was almost ephemeral as he hurried inside. Among the tragedy luck seemed to shine for Lion-O as he found his mount tied to a stake. The same animal that escaped the last time now was the only one standing in the half-destroyed building.

At the fallen gates of the city Tygra and Claudus faced the shocking revelation of their great general's true color. The large brown cat took off his helmet and thunderian garments to exchange them for a dark golden armor.

"You sent me out to find the Book of Omens, Claudus. Instead, I found this..." Grune said wielding a mace shaped canon releasing powerful sparks of energy. "Ultimate power." And gave a demonstration of that power firing at a lion statues guarding the doors of Thundera blowing it to pieces, leaving the royal cats yet more perplexed.

The lion turned the saber tooth explosion. "You would betray your own species?" He questioned at the traitor.

"My allegiance to you has earned me nothing. Therefore, I have aligned myself with a superior force.." The general's eyes were fixed on the golden gauntlet in the king's hand. "And I'll take what I want."

"Never!" Claudus wielded the Sword of Omens in attack position.

Grune received his reaction without much surprise and replayed with a lazy smile. "There's no need to resort to violence. I'm quite willing to make a deal for the sword." Lowering his weapon on the ground.

"There is nothing you have that I want." The king returned sternly.

The saber thooth's smile grew into a superior grin as he raised his hand sending his signal to Slithe.

"Bring forth the prisoner!" The lizard ordered as one of their tanks approached the entrance to the city. A reflector revealed the dark cat hanging on top. His face was pale and bewildered as if he had gone through torture.

But t Claudus immediately recognized him. "Panthro! You're alive."

"Do we have a deal?" The voice of Grune granted.

Claudus turned furious to see the ex-general, his fierce expression and posture remained immutable. He was not willing to give up the Sword of Omen, but was not willing to lose his friend again either.

Furthermore none of this surprised the other cat. "I didn't think you'd go for it." And regained grab of his mace-canon again. "Guess I'll have to take it from you."

Tygra looked between the two cats wondering what would happen next, his eyes then turned to see only his father.

Claudus' features changed completely now showing a confident smile. "You're forgetting one thing, Grune...Jaga's Clerics."

Saber tooth looked to the horizon, for the first time his expression was uneasy. A path of dust quickly rose up in the distance. As it approached everyone noticed a group of cloaked cats leaded by Jaga all carrying various types of staff.

The clerics, better known as the fabled guardians of Thundera were formidable warriors capable of taking on more than one enemy at a time but definitely their greatest virtue was their unrelenting speed. No cat in the kingdom was ever able to our run them on this feat.

In the blink of an eye one of them pounced on Grune and moved behind him too fast for his eyes to follow. By reflex Grune shot trying to aim at the cleric but the ground was all that it hit. The warrior easily dodged the shot and took advantage of Grune's amazement to approach him and strike hard against his arm making him drop his weapon which fell heavily to the ground.

The entire lizard army fired wildly towards the clerics but their attack failed completely missing all of them as they easily ran through the laser shots. One by one each cat approached the troops and moved so fast against the enemy disarming them with ease and knocking them out. Among the commotion Grune hurried up to the tank and entered the city taking Panthro with him.

"I'm going after Panthro!" Claudus headed inside but was stopped by his son.

"You can't leave the protection of the clerics." Tygra told him.

"And I can't leave my friend with those monsters." Claudus replayed removing the tiger's hand from his shoulder and rushed back to the city.

One of the giant machines attempted to shoot at them but Jaga ran around it to get its attention instead. His plan worked and the machine began shooting at him. Its shots however were too slow for the head cleric who anticipated every attack without trouble.

Every move from the machine was just as slow allowing Jaga to take a prominent leap and attacked the machine with his magic staff shooting lightnings disabling it permanently.

Even after the signal from Grune to stop, a troop of reptiles that still remained inside the kingdom did not ceased fire like the others did. The enemy trusted all the cats ran away or perished in the fire so it really took them by surprise to find a cat that not only did not escaped but charged all alone to the group of lizards patrolling the street.

Many stood incredulously seeing she was willing to face them on her own. Not wasting time the cat stormed toward a stunned lizard that saw her coming but couldn't react in time. She moved quickly and caught the reptile with her arm around his neck and smashed it against the concrete.

Seeing the feline giving quite a fight to them the lizards reacted and responded to the attack instantly with their laser guns.

Pumyra proved incredible deftness avoiding all shots coming to her while simultaneously extending her arm deploying the crossbow fixed to her wrist. With sharp reflexes took some pellets from her pouch and shot to the soldiers.

A shot aimed at her face but the metal on her other hand's bracelet served as a shield blocking the impact. The puma kept shooting and this time took down a pair of lizards.

Realizing the soldiers were not much of a problem for her to handle, one of the machines continued with a more aggressive attack. Now Pumyra ran through larger explosions and between the laser shots. A missile impacted very near to her, the one that followed hit right on the target sending her into the air and hitting hard against a solid rock to fall roughly to the ground.

The explosion injured her severely unable to get up, surprisingly she still remain conscious. More shots kept coming destroying more and more buildings. The attack and noise led a thunderian mount right to the battlefield. Full of panic the creature only wish was to flee away from there but its rider forced it to go straight ahead.

A large piece of concrete was about to break off one of the walls near Pumyra to the rider's fear and struck the reins of the animal making it go faster to her aid while the scaredy little feline sitting behind him covered his eyes.

The cat in the saddle had no idea what he was doing but bent his body down the animal's side and stretched his arms as far as he could -a defiant trick he saw his brother accomplish a long time ago when they were younger- and hoped it would work this time as he ran closer to the she-cat, if not both would die under the rubble.

The puma heard the creaking of stone over her and looked up at the piece breaking and falling down. She demanded herself out of there but her body would not respond her. Hopeless now she closed her eyes resignedly and waited.

Pumyra suddenly felt a strong grip around her midsection taking her off the ground. The impact caused the dust to lift all over so the lizards did not see the animal running away from the field with the cats.

The girl's head was pressed against the neck of her rescuer while he struggled to flex his body upwards trying to ignoring the pain that came from his position. Managing to the right position then he tightened his arm securing his grip on her while grabbing her legs with the other settling her on his lap.

The puma reacted upon hearing a squeal behind them, she looked up to a face she thought would never see again but found herself relieved to see.

"And Tygra thought I could never do that..." The lion panted satisfied to himself. Snarf sigh of relief happy to be still alive.

Lion-O then felt a groan from the cat in his arms and his concerned eyes fixed on her. "You still came for me...How-" Pumyra's voice was weak against his chest.

He looked straight to the road to see where they were going but he responded. "If I recall, I promised I'd find you, didn't I?" The female cat felt smile on her face at his reply. "I'm sorry it had to come to this mess for me to keep it." He bemoaned.

Pumyra noted the guilt in his tone. "I'm not." Well, she wasn't content with the '_mess_' part but was happy that he came for her and saved her. She used the little strength she still had in the simple motion of lifting her arm across the chest of the lion prince and hooked her fingers on his shoulder making sure not to fall over.

The mount began to slow down its pace until it stopped behind what used to be a farm. Snarf jumped off the saddle before the prince who got down slowly holding the puma up in his arms.

The lion took her inside the house, his pet went ahead searching for a bedroom and pointed it to him when he found one. Lion-O walked in and laid the cat carefully on a bed and stepped away to give her some space her.

She opened her eyes looking for him. "Lion-O." She moaned and the young lion came and sat on the bed beside her. "Please, don't leave me..." Her words meant _-don't leave me 'here'- _but faded into the pain going up and down her body with every movement she tried to do.

Lion-O looked out the window, everything was quiet, maybe too quiet but at least they had no lizards approaching them. His gaze returned to the cat lying there and remaining silent.

"Lion-O."

"I'm here." He granted.

Pumyra knew he was there, she could feel him next to her in bed. What she really wanted was to know something from him but feared the answer to her question. "What happened to Lynx-O?"

The question definitely affected the lion. He took his time to answer, considering he wasn't completely sure. "Don't worry about that now." In a low voice.

She took for granted the meaning of those words and her fist unconsciously clung to the remains of the bed sheet. Suddenly the puma felt the warmth from Lion-O's hand upon her fist. The soft sound in his voice caught her off guard.

"He's going to be alright." That relaxed her fist under his hand and let out a breath lowering pressure in her throat.

"Thank you."

The prince thanked her back closing his eyes and bowing his head to her. "I have to go now but-"

"I'm not going anywhere." Pumyra got ahead pointing the obvious of her condition.

Though it wasn't a good time to make jokes, ironically the young lion was glad to know that she had the strength to do so. Until now he was just laying his hand on hers but now wrapped his fingers around it. "I promise I'll come back for you."

Now that was reassuring. "And we both know you're a cat of your word, right?" Her voice slightly sarcastic but true.

Lion-O smiled at the compliment. "In the meantime, Snarf will stay here and look after you."

The little feline that was recently looking at them mesmerized as if watching a romantic movie quickly turned to see only his friend with an expression of 'who? me?' written all over his face.

"That?" Pumyra said reluctant turning her head at the cat pet.

Snarf glared at her when the lion spoke. "It may not look like it, but Snarf is a great caretaker." Flashing a confident smile to his furry friend, then stood up from the bed and approaching the chair where Snarf sat and stroked him on the back as a previous reward. "I trust you to watch over her."

The little creature glanced at skeptical at Pumyra once and then to Lion-O ensuring him not to worry. "Thanks Snarf...I'm going now." Looking at the female cat and turned toward the door.

"Prince Lion-O..." Pumyra struggled to get up on the bed trying to support herself on her forearms. Seeing her intentions and the effort it took her the good old Snarf jumped from the sit and climbed the bed to sit on her abdomen preventing her from get up and saluted the lion.

"Told ya he was good." Lion-O told her in a know-it-all kind of voice.

"Fine." Pumyra whined at the creature sitting on top of her and let her head to rest on the pillow again. She glanced at the lion standing there and both her features and voice softened. "Just, be careful."

The lion prince held his gaze for a moment allowing her request to engrave in his mind and amazed that that was the most tender he's ever heard her since they met. The prince then nodded firmly and took off.

The young puma now surrounded by an almost threatening silence used it to think...

When she said those words to him, she meant them from deep inside. Since there was not much she could do but meditate and look around, unless she wanted to start conversation with her imposed babysitter, Pumyra pondered for a moment recalling the conclusions she got to that morning when she woke up, which in the midst of that war added to all the losses suffered and those to come that morning seemed like from _month _ago.

_'__Getting over it__...get over __him__ will be __harder __than I thought__.'_

Although she's always had protective instincts toward weaker cats Pumyra was not easy to warm up to others easily and she was aware of that. It was hard to admit how in a single day she felt fond to that weird yet compassionate lion she met less than twenty-four hours ago. A nice feeling caught her thinking of him, that feeling suggested her it was not just caring about him but maybe something warmer than that.

Still, the puma could not be sure and maybe it was something in his personality, and Lion-O was the way he was with all the other cats. What could make her more special than the others? She thought in disbelief. She couldn't be certain and stubborn as she was pushed those thoughts to the back of her head.

The arena of competitions where the ancient tree stood was the only place in Thundera that was barely affected by the explosions. It was toward there that Claudus chased Grune followed by Tygra. Both reached the base of the tree where the saber tooth was standing with Panthro, now chained on the top of the tree.

"Your rule has come to a long-overdue end, Claudus. Now drop your inferior weapons!" Grune bragged. "How can you defeat technology if you don't even understand it?"

Tygra and his father were suddenly surrounded by armed lizards and two machines nullifying any possibility of a counterattack.

"Luckily, I know a thing or two about it, you traitor!" A tech-mine flew across the field and adhered to one of the war machines quickly detonating destroying it entirely. The explosion caught the other machine as well and knocked-out the lizard units leaving the cats momentarily out of danger.

Claudus and Tygra remained standing while covering from the dust and whirled around both surprised to see the king's younger son coming out of the dust standing on his mount. The large lion was impressed with the ability of his son to be able to eliminate those terrible weapons and realized he had truly underestimated him.

The king went to the young lion and bowed down before him before returning. "Where are you going?" Lion-O asked.

"To show the lizards that the Sword of Omen is the most powerful weapon of them all." Claudus withdrew the sword from the claw-shield and held it above his head. "_Thundercats Oh!" _Thundercats

Lightning shot out of the blade while the lion charged on the lizards, one stroke of the Sword of Omen was enough to make his way between the lizards and up to the large tree. The saber tooth prepared his canon and shot at him, Claudus responded the attack with his sword without getting a scratch and struck the shot as if the sword could literally shatter the energy. The king then leaped over and stroke Grune directly making him drop his weapon and jumped to the top breaking his friend free from the chains as Panthro fell to the ground.

"You came for me." The panther looked at the king kneeling before him.

"I'd fight an army twice that size to save you, old friend." Claudus stood up turning his back on him. "Now help me!"

Lion-O climbed the tree to his father when he got sight of the dark expression on Panthro's face and his eyes grew wider in horror at the tortuous knife looming from his back.

"Father!"

The king looked down to his son's frightened expression..."Aaagghhh!" Suffering the cold hard feeling of the blade plunging through his chest from behind.

"Nooo!"

The other prince froze there and then watching the large body of their father falling helplessly into the water. The sword slipped away from his hand and into the log.

From a higher place Lion-O jumped and dove into the pond after the other lion. His brother followed him into the water watching him surface with their father the tiger swam closer and helped taking him to the shore, the gauntlet resting on his chest.

"Father..." The young lion murmured.

Claudus' tired eyes slowly opened to see his sons. "No matter what happens, you've made me proud today." Whispered his last words. His eyes shut close permanently, the golden glow faded away from the shield as if banishing along with his life...

The princes were silent, the youngest looked indignant toward the only cat standing in the ancient tree. "You- A traitor too, Panthro?"

"Not quite." The dark cat replied with a wicked grin. "Have you not considered that if technology is real...Then so are the things of your worst nightmares?" A strange blue fire engulfed the panther allowing his body to take its true form. A thin gaunt body fully wrapped in ragged bandages except the face emerged from the dark flames, showing those red grim eyes of pure evil.

"Mum-Ra..."

The powers of demon soon created monstrous purple clouds forming a whirlpool all over the sky, the lightning coming out of it made a frightening spectacle to the eyes of the warriors still in the field.

"The day I have always feared has arrived." Jaga foreshadowed and turned to their disciples. "Clerics, to the death!"  
At the command all of them threw themselves against the evil forces of the ever-living but they served little to be greeted by an energy wave carrying and disintegrating everything in its path along with the storm that generated it in the first place. When it was their master's turn, rather than attacking the only one of his warriors left alive jumped behind him and took him down to the ground saving him from a certain death.  
Silence overcame them, the princes with nowhere to go as lizards cornered them. The only two clerics left stood up but had a second troop encircling them.

Both were prepared to resist the arrest but…"Jaga, you're hurt." The cleric warned her master in concern.

The jaguar realized it would not be long before it turn difficult to hold his staff and agreed. The two dropped their weapons at the same time in defeat.

The entire kingdom was consumed in flames and the only cats standing were taken to the dungeons while the clerics were taken elsewhere.

"Thundera has fallen!" Mum-Ra cried victorious receiving the cheers and shouts of his army.

The sky began to clear slowly preceding the next morning. The fire now extinguished, Lion-O look at their destroyed and defeated city from the window of his cell thinking about all those who didn't survived and those others he wondered if would.

"We lost our kingdom, our father...and the sword." Murmured the tiger beside him in the cell. "We lost everything."

Something clicked on the lion's head then and turned to see his brother. "This is my fault, Tygra. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I did see a vision through the sword: Mum-Ra."

"And you told anyone?!" Tygra furious rose up from his spot. "This is exactly why you aren't fit to be King. Your decisions always bring disaster. " He wanted to punch him at the time but reluctantly restrained himself.

"Suppertime." A lizard approached the bars. " I brought you a very special meal." Leaving a tray with two bowls of stew of indescribable precedence.

The lion prince recognized the lizard and hoped it recognized him as well. "Hey, remember me?" Poking his head against the bars. "I granted you mercy, a chance for peace between our species and this is how you repay me?" The lizard pretended to ignore him and turned around. "You can't even look at me now!"

"Just eat your supper..." Insisted and left them alone.

Lion-O looked at the tray and specially the metallic sparkle inside the wooden bowl.

"What is it?" His big brother asked looking into the stew.

"Sometimes my decisions bring disaster." The lion fished something from there. "Sometimes they bring a key." For the first time feeling good about himself.

"That reptile actually-" The tiger looked wide eyed at his brother as he opened the door for them.

The two ran through the empty passages of the palace. "Wait, what are you planning to do now?" Tygra stopped the lion. "We're on our own now and this place is crawled with soldiers."

Lion-O listened to him and considered their chances, which were pretty much slim. "We have to get out of here. But we have to get the sword first." Both wondered how they were going to would to accomplish that.

In the throne room of the lizards chained the cleric to a pillar while Jaga was carried to Mum-Ra. "These two are all that remain of the fabled guardians of the crown." A soldier said, pressing his foot on the cat's head forcing him to bow before the mummy.

"You are Jaga, sorcerer to the dead king." Mum-Ra pointed delighted at the elder cat at his feet.

"And you are more grotesque than the stories suggested." Jaga returned.

"Did your stories neglect to tell you that the stone in that sword is mine?" Referring to the Eye of Thundera, and tried once more to hold the sword, now in the sizes of a dagger, in his hands but was rejected by a strong discharge of power. "I want it back."

"I'm afraid an ancient spell prevents the sword from being touched by the hands of evil." The head cleric replied lightly despise his predicament.

"That is why we're going to remove the spell." Mum-Ra grunted starting to lose his patience.

"Never!"

"Then I will just have to find another way." The ever-living called out the game and continued to torture the cooperation out of the jaguar. He lifted the cat in the air with his bandages and continued to hurt him with demonstrations of his terrible powers.

His apprentice could only watch while four lizards surrounding her watched every move she could try to make while chained.

Meanwhile, in the halls the princes made it unnoticed so far. Cautiously entered the room from the top level, Tygra adventured ahead and caught a soldier watching the torturing of the elder cleric. He used his entertainment and took him by surprise knocking him to the ground while taking away his gun, he motioned to his brother that it was safe to approach.

The tiger freed Jaga from his suffering breaking the bandages that held him with two shots of his newly acquired laser gun. "I could get used to this." He smirked eyeing the gun in his hand.

Mum-Ra clearly felt the pain through his bandages and commanded Slithe to fire on the exposed tiger. Tygra dodged the first shot and was soon safe behind the pillar gaining the attacks' attention.

Lion-O used the distraction to jump from the upper level higher and rushed to the Sword of Omens. Mum-Ra surprised to see him out of nowhere couldn't react and the young lion passed next to him and threw himself taking the small sword and rolling across floor with it.

The prince raised the dagger. "You took my father's life, but you won't take his sword!"

"_Thunder_..." The blade extended itself.

"_Thunder..."_ And again with the second blow.

"_Thunder!_..." Regaining full size while the cat's head symbol of the Thundercats appeared in Eye of Thundera's place.

"_Thundercats! Oh!"_

A powerful red beam came from the Eye of Thundera that Lion-O concentrated and directed to Mum-Ra. The incredible particle blast was a very unexpected impact for demon that got fired out of the palace as he broke the wall on the way out letting in the light of the rising sun through the hole.

He slowly stood up with renewed anger. "You cannot comprehend the forces you are dealing with!" He cursed. "Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form into Mum-Ra, the ever-" The rays of sunlight hit him from behind seriously hurting his body and knocking him to the ground.

Tygra shot the chains that held the cleric who fell free between the soldiers. She dropped her robe and leaped away from the enemy's shots then took them down nimbly with two kicks and landed unharmed between them, now revealing her slender shape and blond mane.

"Cheetara?..." The prince gasped in awe.

Now it made sense, after all these years without knowing it the cheetah came to become a royal guard, what he didn't know what the reason why she was never able to reveal it to others.

"She's a cleric?" Lion-O said surprised too. The lizards began shooting at them.

"Let's go!" The blonde cat yelled running between the shots making sure to take the gauntlet with them.

Jaga barely holding on his staff grabbed a torch on the wall and whirled it on its place. "Quickly, through here." The wall beside them slid open rebelling a secret passage.

Across the hall Grune sheltered his master from the sunlight as he helped him to his feet away from the open. "After them!" Mum-Ra commanded seeing the cats escaping into the hidden door. The lizards attack doubled its strength and a laser shot hit Jaga severely wounding him in the back, the door closing behind him.

The enemy continued to fire hoping to get the door open but it looked like it would take a while.

Across the passage, Tygra and Cheetara helped the elder cat out of the underground bridge. Lion-O looked worried the roof collapsing slowly over them as they kept walking. Crossing the bridge to a second cave the roof was more stable.

"Before we go any further, there is something that must be done."

"It can wait." Cheetara turned to her mentor.

"It must be now." Jaga insisted.

From the outside the door started to give in behind them. The jaguar looked at Lion-O and asked him to extend his left arm. He took the Gauntlet of the Omen from the cheetah's hands and dressed the lion's hand with it. The shield quickly adjusted to the size of his hand, Lion-O moved his fingers inside it and it followed his movements perfectly.

The head cleric knelt before the prince and the two cats at his side did the same, now each of them laid a hand upon the gauntlet of the young prince.

"For the eye of Thundera and the Sword of Omens." As Jaga touched the shield with his staff this regained its golden glow for the lion's surprise. "Now Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats, go."

"You're going with us, Jaga." The female cat shot standing up.

"Will only slow you down." The jaguar responded. Another quiver was heard on the other side. " At least this way I can buy you time to get to safety."

The tiger took Cheetara's arm leading her into the next passage.

Jaga looked intently at Lion-O. "The book of omens lies at the foot of the setting sun. You must find it before Mumm-Ra does."

The young lion began shivering a little but focused on putting himself together. "I can't do this alone!"

"You won't have to. You have everything you need, Lion-O. Whatever questions remain, the answers are in the Book of Omens. Find it!" And pushed him away to the exit.

On the other side, Grune was growing impatient while waiting for the lizards to open the door. "Out of my way!" The saber tooth raised his mace smashing it violently against the gate.

The bridge began to fill with soldiers approaching the cats. The cleric commanded Lion-O and the others to get out of there as soon as possible. As they ran into the dark tunnel, the young lord turned to behold Jaga disappeared into the explosion caused by Grune and the lizards, followed by rocks that fell blocking the road.

Cheetara anguished shut her eyes saying goodbye to her mentor, who at some point was like a father to her. The tiger's voice infront of her made her reopen them. "Look! There's the way out!" Caching the sunlight at the end of the passage.

The three emerged on a high platform from which they had a full view of the sad remains of the kingdom of Thundera. A vision to hard for any of them to take in. Lion-O looked intently down the deserted streets, searching for the roads crawled with lizards and those that were empty. Almost all troops surrounded the palace and more of them came closer.

The female of the group sat on a rock on the side quietly with a blank yet depressed look on her face while being observed by Tygra that stepped close to her. Before he could get closer both turned at the sound of Lion-O talking to them.

"Tygra, Cheetara. I'm going back in there." His back turned to the two cats. "You stay here and wait till I return."

"Have you lost your mind?" His brother protested.

"It's very dangerous." The cheetah said in a calmer voice.

The lion showed no surprise at their reactions. "There's someone who needs help, she could be the only cat left."

Knowing it was a girl gave the cleric a hint of who that cat could be.

When he attempted to talk the tiger beat him to it. "How can you tell Mum-Ra hasn't caught her yet? You can't save her, not on your own."

"She's safe, for now but I must hurry." His younger brother replied sharply.

"Wait." Cheetara spoke. "You are our king now, Lion-O. We can't let them to capture you." Her concern for him did not sit well with the tiger. "But we can't all go either." She complained.

"Then I'll go." The lion and her turned to see Tygra. "I'm better than you to sneak in there. I can use my whip and disappear on their noses. Just tell me where she is and I'll bring her back." His voice was serious and calculating.

The young lord growled for a second at his brother's stubbornness. "No. I have the Sword of Omen, I can take on any of them now." Facing him with the shield attached to his arm.

"So now you think you're a hero, just because you have father's sword." Tygra challenged him. "We can't lose the sword now, it's probably the only chance we have if we want to defeat Mum-Ra!"

"Why are you so sure I'll let them take it?!" He shot back glaring. "Like it or not, I'm the king now and you'll do as I say..."

"Enough!" Cheetara looked at Lion-O but stopped the tiger placing her hand on his arm. "Fighting between us won't take us anywhere."

The three then stood in silence.

"Lion-O." The blonde cat called him. The young lion looked serious while his brother frowned in discomfort. "You sure you can still bring her back and safe?"

He nodded. "I promised Pumyra I would return for her. I'll find a secure road no matter what."

She looked into his eyes and walked to him, Tygra stood in the back now arms crossed. "Tygra and I will wait here as you asked, just go carefully." She plead.

For the prince's dislike his little brother gave the cheetah a warm smile and then ran down the side of the mountain.

Tygra flopped down on the rock Cheetara was sitting on before and crossed his arms again and now the legs and just wait. The she-cat turned then to see him a little disappointed.

Moments and soldiers searching the area later, Lion-O went unnoticed to the house where he left Pumyra. Approaching the bedroom he opened the door to find it empty. "Pumyra?..." He searched every corner of the place but there was no sign of her nor Snarf as hopelessness filled him.

The sound of a gun made him whirl to the door. In bad time a lizard cornered him without preventing him from going anywhere. The lion heard a shot but it wasn't from the laser gun and saw the lizard falling unconscious to the floor.

"Pumyra!" He gasped in shock.

Standing in the doorway the young puma lowered her cross bow, the cat-pet hiding behind her legs which barely held her up. "Took you long enough..." The girl cat breathed tiredly and her body collapsed.

Lion-O caught her on time in his arms before she could get hurt. Trapped in his arms she realized something unusual; he had the Gauntlet of Omens on his left arm. "You'll be ok now." He said gently close to her ear, relief coming from his voice.

Pumyra felt for a moment as if his grip on her was more like an embrace feeling warm inside his arms but soon he positioned her on his back and secured her with his arms from behind while she clutched tightly onto him. The young King looked down at Snarf and smiled at him. "Let's go."

Meanwhile Tygra tried not to make eye contact with his partner, although all she could think about was a way to talk to him. None of them said a word since Lion-O's departure and silence was difficult for her to bear.

"Congratulations." The cheetah tilted her head at the first words coming from him.

"Tygra ..." She let out a whisper.

"After all these years not knowing about you were this close and in all this time you couldn't tell me you succeeded in becoming a cleric." Holding a serious look, he looked to the side to add. "Even so, I always knew you could make it."

Behind his distant face Cheetara still saw that little tiger that escorted her to the precincts of the clerics for the first time when they were cubs.

Tygra looked at her now. "Now that we're the only ones left, you can look after Lion-O without the need to hide."

Cheetara knew what he meant by that and he was wrong but still he had a point, she thought. Seeing that Jaga was no longer with them and they were on their own she found no sense on keep on to hiding and decided to stop him. "Tygra, there's something I have to tell you...about the other night."

The tiger raised an eyebrow not sure he wanted to hear but he did. "I wasn't spying on Lion-O. From the moment we knew he was going to go through the rite of passage Jaga commanded me to watch him closely knowing that being near his age would make it easier for me than any other cleric but I was also asked not to reveal myself to him."

"Why?" The tiger interrupted.

"As guardians of the crown, clerics cannot expose their faces to the members of the royal family. We are just protectors, all equals to one another and the king, which is why we cover ourselves." She explained, leaving aside the fact that being their master and a longtime friend of the king, Jaga was the exception. "And that's why I could not tell you either, even if I wanted to."

"But you're the survivor of the clerics, you won't have to hide anymore." Tygra's gaze regained some encouragement but not for long."Now you won't have to hide from Lion-O..."

Cheetara looked at him with wide eyes but soon relaxed and looked him straight in the eyes like she was reading his mind, and at one point she was. "I'm not looking for Lion-O's affection." Placing her hand over his resting on his other arm.

The tiger was surprised and even more when she drew her hand from his and pulled out what seemed to be the remains of a flower from her armlet. He looked skeptical to the thing.

"Years ago, during those days I was tested by Jaga. I came close to giving up. Then found the flower, the Day-Astrid, each petal is said to trap a thread of life within it." The cheetah told him as she looked tenderly at the heart in her hand, she then looked at Tygra. "From the moment we met you were always there for me and believed in me when I barely knew you. As soon as I found it I knew it was you who gave it to me and just like the Day-Astrid you gave me the strength to endure, to make it one more day." She paused showing him his gift. "This is the heart of that very same flower, I kept it all these years in memory of your kindness…"

Tygra smiled with every word, moved to learn that he's been closer to her than he's ever imagined. "I will always be there for you, forever."

Both looked at each other feeling like the cubs they were when they first met, but something was different...there was no shyness and now they could tell the other what they couldn't tell during all those years.

Cheetara repositioned herself sitting closer to him, her eyes still focused on his. In the distance they heard a shriek and both looked wide eyed in its direction.

Snarf ran toward Tygra bouncing on his lap happy to see him alive. "Snarf?!" The prince was surprised to see him there.

The cheetah looked up and smiled seeing Lion-O back with Pumyra on his back. She got up from her spot and went to help her to her feet.

The lion let the cleric take her and with Tygra both filled her in to what happened. Everything indicated they were the only survivors, the betrayal of one of the generals of Thundera now serving the evil forces of Mum-Ra, the king's dead and that now it was Lion-O who had to guide them in an intricate quest full of questions and many answers to find and that the only clue they had for now was to find the long lost fabled Book of Omen.

Lion-O stood at the edge of the mountain contemplating everything they've lost wondering if he could ever regain some of that back. Snarf was standing next to him watching him from below with sad eyes. The king felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Pumyra standing behind him. Her eyes couldn't stand the view of the ruins of Thundera.

He turned to face her, his face reflecting how uneasy and lost he felt right now.

The puma looked into his eyes feeling the urge to be closer and comfort him somehow but the circumstances made her regret it as she was looking at her king now and kept the distance between them. "You're all we have now...Your Majesty."

Lion-O nodded a little uncertain but when Tygra and Cheetara approached and saw the three of them and Snarf beside him he realized he wasn't alone in this.

Knowing that he felt more confident and determined as he stared right at the tattered palace. The others stood beside him and looked expectantly at their king, the Lord of the Thundercats.

"This is only the beginning."

.

Ok, guess who got excited with this? I just decided to make a retelling of the Thundercats first season parting from here…it will be a much longer fic but it'll have to wait since I have a couple of fics to work on first. But I hope you let me know what you think of the idea basing on 'The Fall of Thundera.'

Write you next time!


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